A Christmas to Remember
by Bookjunkie-22
Summary: Six Adults. Seven Children. Three Dysfunctional families. One Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

Summary- Three couples. Seven Children. Three dysfunctional families. One Christmas.

"We have to invite both Brooke and Lucas." Haley told Nathan.

"Why do we have to invite anyone?" he asked putting down the phone.

"Because it's Christmas, Nathan. They're our family. Lucas and Brooke are Jamie's godparents, Peyton and Jake are Andrea's. Considering that your father is still in jail, your mom is back in rehab, and both my parents are still trekking the world, it might be nice if the kids have some family members to celebrate the holidays with. Now please call Lucas. I'll call Brooke from my cell phone."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Fine."

"Hey mom, hi daddy." Andrea said walking into the kitchen.

"Hi baby." Haley said forcing a smile.

"Hey Andy." Nathan said.

"Daddy, can we play basketball?"

"Your daddy has to call your uncle Lucas right now." Haley said.

"I can play for a little while." Nathan said.

"Nathan I'd really appreciate it if you'd call Lucas before you go play basketball." Haley said taking a deep breath.

"Haley, I'd really appreciate if you'd get off my ass about this."

"Nathan!" she exclaimed, "Andy, go find your brother." As Andy left the room she heard her mother say, "God Nathan, our daughter is eight years old and you're swearing in front of her. What is wrong with you!?"

"They at it again?" Jaime asked when his little sister entered his room. She nodded and he handed her a game controller.

* * *

"No, it's my weekend." Lucas said.

"It's the night before Christmas, Luke, you know I plan a big thing for them. We have the tradition were they open one present at midnight." Brooke said, "Christmas is my favorite holiday. I let you have them on Thanksgiving."

"Only because you can't cook." He said.

"Nice." She said shaking her head, "I cannot believe the man I married can be this… god this-"

"This what?" he asked.

Brooke's cell phone rang just as Lucas's house phone rang. They both checked the caller id.

"Haley." Brooke said.

"Nathan." Lucas said.

"Hello." They both answered.

* * *

"But I want to stay here with mom." Jenny told her father, "Why are we leaving? Why is Liz staying?"

"Elizabeth is staying cause…" Jake started.

"Cause she's your real daughter." Jenny accused turning to Peyton.

"No, Jen, baby, I love you. It's just that your dad and I need to take a break for a bit." Peyton said, "But I can't keep you, cause you're not mine, baby. I can't legally keep you."

"Yeah right!" Jenny exclaimed, "Maybe you both should have just left me with my real mom."

"Jennifer Lynn Jagelski! Just because Peyton and I are going through some things doesn't give you the right to act like this." Jake said.

"Whatever." Jenny said, "You are both ruining my life." She said running up the stairs, and a few seconds later they heard the door slam.

"I knew we never should have let her turn thirteen." Peyton said trying to make a joke as Jake stood to grab his suitcase, "Jake." She said softly.

"I'll be twenty minutes away." He said.

She nodded, "Ellie, come say goodbye to your dad." She added, "I'm gonna go see Jenny."

Before Peyton could leave the room the phone rang, "Hello? Oh hey Haley."

Jake looked up from hugging his daughter, "Elizabeth go play. I love you."

"Yeah, no, me and Jake are great, the girls are great. Christmas?" Peyton looked at Jake as if to say, "What should I do?" He shrugged. "I don't know if Jake can get off work. Yeah, your right it is Christmas, and he hasn't used any of his vacation days. Yeah they will just go to waste if he doesn't. All right Hales we'll be there."

Jake sighed and put down his suitcase.

* * *

"Kids, your dad and have something we need to talk to you about." Brooke said.

"Uh mom we had this conversation two years ago when you guys got a divorce." Her son said sarcastically.

"Keith." Lucas scolded.

"You were seven years old at the time Keith, chances are you barely remember that conversation." Brooke said massaging her temples.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, "When my parents decided they don't love each other anymore, I don't care what age I am, I'm gonna remember it."

Brooke and Lucas looked at one another then looked away, "Okay, I'm sorry baby. But please let us just tell you what's going on."

"Your both gonna fight over us for Christmas?" Penelope asked.

"No." Lucas said, "This Christmas we're all going to go to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Haley's."

"In fact it won't just be us, Aunt Peyton and Uncle Jake will be there too." Brooke added.

Penelope and Keith exchanged glances, "Wait," Keith said, "All five of us are going to spend Christmas together?"

"Yes." Lucas said.

"What's the catch?" Keith asked.

"Honestly Keith." Brooke sighed, "There is no catch, but," she started.

"Insert catch here." Penelope sighed.

"God are we sure this is my daughter and not Haley's?" Brooke turned to ask Lucas, in reference to the young girls intelligence. Lucas grinned at her and she flashed him a smile, before they both remembered they hated each other and turned back to the kids, "Right, there are rules."

"Lay 'em on us." Keith said leaning back.

"You have to be on your best behavior." Brooke said holding up one finger.

"Done." Keith said.

"That means no fighting, no name calling, no confusing your mother with big words from the dictionary we gave you for your birthday, Pen." Lucas said, Brooke shoved him.

"Hey, it works both ways." Penelope said suddenly.

"What?" Brooke asked.

"If we can't fight neither can you." Keith finished for his younger sister.

Brooke and Lucas looked at one another, "Deal." They both said.

"No feeding Tyler beads to see if they really do pass through him. You wanna know if you can pass beads? Eat 'em yourselves." Brooke said, Lucas glared at her and added, "Don't eat them yourselves. Just trust that we know what we're talking about."

"We haven't done that since he was one." Keith said leaning back on the couch.

"Yes, well I still remember having to sit up all night waiting for him to go, and then having to sift through his diaper with the two of you giggling in your respective corners." Brooke said, "So if it's alright with you I'd like to cover my bases."

"Fine." Both Keith and Penelope said.

* * *

"Jenny, Ellie, sit down girls. We need to talk to you." Peyton said, as she and Jake paced around the living room.

"What now?" Jenny asked, worrying that the rest of her world was about to be taken from her.

"It's nothing bad sweetie." Peyton said, glancing at Jake, she added to herself, right?

"Aunt Haley and Uncle Nathan invited us to come stay for a week over Christmas vacation." Jake said.

"Yeah?" Jenny asked. She hadn't seen Nathan and Haley since Tyler Scott was born three years ago, and the whole group had gotten together for a baby shower for a baby who'd shown up a week early.

"Well, we're gonna go."

"Which we?" Jenny asked, "Ellie, mom, and me? Or Ellie, dad, and me?"

"Well we're all going." Peyton said.

"What?" she asked, "A week ago, you told me you were getting separated. You said me and dad were moving out, and now? Now we're all going on some family trip?!"

"Yeah." Jake said helplessly.

"Why? So Aunt Haley can hug us all and tell us things will get better, like she did when Uncle Lucas and Aunt Brooke got divorced?"

"Well no." Peyton said, "Cause honey they don't know we're separated."

"And they're not going to." Jake finished.

"Say what now?"

"Jenny, your Aunt Haley, and Aunt Brooke get excited for one holiday a year, and that holiday is Christmas. They go all out. Turkey, ham, decorations on the tree, a gazillion presents, and your dad and I, well we don't want to ruin that for them. So we're gonna go down there and for that one week, we're not gonna be separated." Peyton said.

"So you expect me to go to Haley's home and lie to her?"

"Jennifer, please." Jake said.

"Jen, honey do this for us and we'll… buy you a car for your sixteenth birthday." Peyton said grasping at straws.

"Deal." Jenny said quickly, "No take backs."

Jake rolled his eyes, "A car?"

"It worked." Peyton sighed, "And besides we have three years to come up with a way to get out of it." She added quietly so Jenny wouldn't hear.

"Yeah, what are we gonna offer Ellie? A pony?"

"I wanna pony!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Peyton folded her arms and smirked at Jake, who groaned, "When you turn sixteen."

"I want it in writing." Ellie said grabbing a crayon and a piece of construction paper.

"Oh yeah!" Jenny exclaimed, "Me too."

Jake and Peyton looked at their youngest daughter, "Who taught you that?"

"Aunt Brooke." Ellie said.

* * *

"So you two might have noticed that daddy and I have been fighting lately." Haley said.

"Lately, like every single day." Jamie supplied.

"James." Nathan warned.

"Yes sir." He said.

"As I was saying. Your Aunt's and Uncle's and cousins are coming to visit for Christmas-"

"I thought you said it's be a cold day in hell before you ever let Aunt Taylor back in this house?" Andrea questioned.

Before Haley could respond Nathan jumped in, "She means Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake."

"Penelope's coming?" Andy asked excitedly.

"Yes." Haley said, and waited for her daughter to stop squealing in joy before she continued, "Now, as you know your dad and I have been seeing a marriage therapist for the past couple weeks, and we'd really appreciate it if you didn't mention it to your aunts or uncles."

"Why?" Jamie asked.

"Because they don't need to know." Nathan said.

"Why?" Andy asked.

"Because it's none of their business." Haley said.

"Why?" Jamie asked.

"Next one who asked why is getting grounded." Nathan said.

"Look kids, these are our best friends and sometimes when grownups have problems they don't like their close friends to know."

"Wh-" Jamie started but then glanced at his father, "Honest this time. How come?"

"Well honey, it's like that time that you got an 80 on your math test and you didn't want to tell us cause you thought we'd be disappointed in you." Haley said.

"But you weren't." He pointed out, "You put it up on the fridge." Haley nodded, "Maybe if you tell Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Jake, they'll put your marriage on the metaphorical fridge."

"What?" both Nathan and Andy asked.

"It's a nice thought babe, but that's not how it works. So daddy and I are asking nicely. When Peyton, Jake, Brooke, and Lucas come over please don't mention our problems."

Jamie and Andrea exchanged glances before nodding, "Okay."

* * *

Okay that was chapter one. I hope you guys liked it. If you did you know the drill, review please. And if you didn't well why the hell are you still reading this?

-Em


	2. Chapter 2

"Brooke, Keith let's go!" Lucas yelled from the foot of the stairs, Penelope was holding his hand while he supported Tyler in his other arm.

"I'm still wrapping presents!" Brooke yelled back.

"Well hurry it up!"

"Lucas, it's six o'clock in the morning, stop screaming at me!" she screamed.

"You're both breaking the rules." Penelope yelled, dropping Luke's hand and walking up the stairs to find her brother.

"Pen, baby girl." Lucas called, and groaned when she didn't turn around, "Alright Bud," he added to Tyler who looked up at him sleepily, "Let's go hurry mommy up."

"Lucas," Brooke started as he entered the room, "you know how important wrapping presents are to me."

"I know." He sighed, placing Tyler in the play pen and sitting down at the table next to her.

"Hold this down." Brooke said, and Lucas reached over to hold down a corner, while Brooke scotch taped it.

"Wait a minute," he said seeing the box poking out from under the paper, "This is what I got Pen."

"I know, but Lucas, hon- Luke," she corrected herself, "You know you can't wrap presents."

"So the reason we haven't left yet is because you went into the trunk found all the presents I bought for the kids and re-wrapped them?" he asked.

"Yep, here hold this side."

Lucas groaned, "We're never gonna get to Nathan and Haley's."

"Here, just write 'to Penelope' on this one." She said ignoring him, he rolled his eyes but complied, "There, now doesn't that look better than how you did it."

Lucas had to admit, it did. Brooke had even tied a bow on it, "Yes, fine, can we go now?"

"As soon as we round up the kids." Brooke shrugged.

Lucas looked around and groaned, "I had them ready a half hour ago."

* * *

"Now remember Jenny, El, No mentions of mommy and daddy's separation." Peyton said as Jake put the bags in the trunk.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We keep our lips zipped and in three years I get a car." Jenny said.

"And a pony." Ellie said happily.

"Had to bribe them." Jake muttered.

Peyton glared at him pulling out a cd, "Let's just go."

* * *

"Andy honey, get dressed, they'll all be here in a couple hours and the house isn't clean yet." Haley called to her daughter, "Nathan get up." She growled at her husband, who was asleep on the couch.

"What?" he groaned.

"Our oldest friends are gonna be here in a couple hours. They're staying for a whole week and this house is a mess." She said, "And you are not, let me repeat not!, going to be falling asleep on the couch any of the seven nights they are here. Do you understand me?"

"Dr. Grossman told you to stop ordering me around." Nathan all but whined like a child.

"Nathan, I don't want to hear the words "Dr. Grossman said" for the next seven days." Haley said, handing him the Christmas lights, "I asked you to put these up three weeks ago. Jamie's outside waiting for you."

Nathan took the lights and walked out the door still in his pajamas, not caring that it was freezing out, he slammed the door behind him, "Jamie?"

"Up here dad." Jamie called from the roof, "Climb up, so we can get this over with. Mom's having a meltdown or something."

"I noticed." Nathan sighed to himself.

* * *

"Stop playing with the radio." Lucas complained hitting Brooke's hands away from the dash.

"I can't take this lame emo crap. I'm having flashbacks to junior year with Peyton. Might I remind you that junior year wasn't exactly my favorite?" Brooke said glaring at him.

"You're both bordering very close to fighting guys." Keith warned.

"Just listen to your ipod." Lucas said and it was unclear if he was talking to Brooke or Keith but no one asked.

"Daddy?" Penelope asked from the back seat.

"What is it Baby Girl?" he asked.

"Tell me the story of how you meet mommy."

Brooke chocked on the water she'd been sipping, Lucas gripped the wheel tighter while Keith stifled a laugh from the backseat.

"I don't know if now is the right time for that story Pen." Lucas said.

"But you told it to me last Tuesday." Penelope whined, "And I forgot, please."

Brooke looked up at Lucas but he avoided her gaze, "Read your book babe." He said ending the conversation, though Penelope kept pouting.

* * *

"Okay mom, all the lights are up." Jamie called entering the house, with Nathan in tow.

"Thank you. Now I've made a list of things that need to go in the guest rooms. Brooke is staying in the downstairs guestroom, while Lucas is in the office across the hall from her, she'll complain, but it's all I've got." Haley said, "Jake and Peyton are in the upstairs guestroom and your cousins are staying with you guys."

"Wait, so I've got Keith and Tyler, and Andy's got Jenny, Penelope and Elizabeth?" Jamie asked.

"I don't know if Jenny's gonna want to share a room with two eight year old and her five year old sister." Nathan pointed out handing Andrea a juice box.

"Well Jamie, maybe she can stay with you boys? You know the older kids in one room, and Tyler can be in with the girls, though since he's the baby maybe Brooke wants him in with her or Lucas." Haley pondered, serving herself and Nathan some macaroni and cheese.

"I don't mind." Jamie said answering his mother's original question.

"Okay, good." Haley said pulling out a piece of paper that Nathan and the kids recognized as one of her 'charts.'

"Oh no, mom." Jamie said, while Nathan stifled a laugh and Andy giggled, "Not the charts. You remember how the chore chart turned out?"

"You remember how the chore chart turned out when you first implemented it back when you lived with Brooke?" Nathan asked.

Haley rolled her eyes, "This is different."

"They're always different." Andy said.

"Can't you just make a to-do list?" Jamie asked.

"A chart is practically a to-do list."

"Yeah only confusing as hell." Nathan insisted, then added to his daughter, "Never say the word hell." Andy giggled.

"Look it's really simple," Haley said, "Nathan you're the blue, I'm the red, Andy is the pink, and Jamie is the green. We each do the chore that's written in our color. That sounds simple right?"

"Yeah so far." Nathan said, "But whose purple?" he asked pointing to the purple chore.

"Well purple is for the person who gets done with his or her chore first."

"Right and brown?" Jamie asked.

"For the person who finishes after the person who took the purple chore, so they aren't both doing the same."

Nathan and the kids exchanged glances, "Jamie, clean your room, and the bathrooms, Andy clean your room and get the blankets down from the attic, I'll do the guest bedrooms, and Haley you do what you do best, finish decorating the house." Jamie put his hand in the middle, Nathan placed his hand on top of his son's and Andy followed suit. The three looked up at Haley who was still staring at her chart trying to make sure Nathan didn't forget anything.

"Oh fine." She sighed, placing her hand on top of her daughters.

* * *

"Jake, it's this right." Peyton said.

"No, it's the next one."

"Jake, I'm telling you, look at the map."

"I don't care what the map says. This stupid goddamned machine is telling me to go straight. The machine has never steered me wrong."

"Oh and I have?" Peyton asked. Jenny rolled her eyes to Ellie, who started giggling.

"Hmm, remember that little roadtrip when we were seventeen?" he asked.

"Yes!" Peyton said annoyed, then paused and thought about it, "Oh yeah." She added softly in embarrassment.

"What happened?" Jenny asked, suddenly interested.

"Nothing." Peyton insisted while Jake said, "Well, see honey this was when I came back to Tree Hill-"

"Why?" Jenny interrupted knowing the answer.

"Because Lucas told me your mom- ehem- needed me." Jake said not taking his eyes off the road, "Anyway, I decided that I was going to stay in Tree Hill with grandma and grandpa-"

"Well." Peyton said softly.

"What?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, what?" Jake asked confused.

"No, it's nothing, it's just… well yeah you decided to stay in Tree Hill, but it wasn't to stay with your parents… your uh your dad stayed with me." She directed to the girls.

"Right…" Jake said coughing to gloss over the moment, "Anyway, once I decided to stay in Tree Hill, no matter the reason, your mom and I figured that we needed to go and get you, Jen. So we hopped in the car, all we had was music, beef jerky and some flat soda, and a map. A map that as it turns out, your mother couldn't read very well. And by very well, I mean at all."

Jenny and El giggled in the back seat, "I can so read a map." Peyton said.

"Right, and how many times did we need to stop to ask for direction?"

"Once." Peyton said, Jake turned to look at her, "Okay three times."

"Mom." Jenny said from the back seat.

"Fine ten. We had to stop ten times to ask people for directions."

The girls giggled louder while Jake grinned at Peyton.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" she whined.

"Does it look like we're there yet?" Lucas asked.

"No, but I'm so hungry and I have to go to the bathroom." She continued to whine.

"I told you to go when we stopped an hour ago."

"I didn't have to go then. I have to go now." Brooke said, wiggling in her seat.

"You want me to pull over?"

"No. Just drive faster."

"I'm going sixty."

"It feels like forty."

"Guys." Keith said.

"You're breaking the rules." Penelope added.

"We're not fighting." Brooke said, "Mommy just really has to go to the bathroom, and daddy's driving like Grandma Karen, when he should be driving like Aunt Peyton, when there's a red light."

"What?" Keith asked.

"Nothing." They both said.

* * *

"Look I can see the mailbox." Penelope cried.

"I can see Uncle Jake's car." Keith said.

"Perfect timing." Brooke said, "If you didn't pull over at that rest stop we wouldn't have gotten here at the exact same time as P. Sawyer!" she added Peyton's name in a yell out the window.

"B. Davis!" Peyton yelled back.

Brooke hopped out of the car at the same time Peyton did and the two girls ran to each other.

"Oh my god, it's been so long." Brooke cried.

"You're here!" Haley yelled from the door, as she ran to the two.

Lucas and Jake got out of their cars as Nathan got to his door, "Should we all run to each other and hug to?" Luke called to his brother and friend.

"Oh shut up." Brooke cried.

* * *

Okay so they are all reunited. No one knows Jake and Peyton are separated, Haley and Nathan's marriage is on the rocks… again, and while everyone knows Brooke and Lucas are divorced it's still pretty awkward between the two.

So review if you wanna more. Like if you want to find out how long it takes for Jen or Ellie to spill the beans, who breaks the rules first Lucas and Brooke, or Keith and Penelope, and what's the deal with Nathan and Haley?

-Em


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay, introduction time." Haley said as everyone gathered in the living room.

"Tutor Girl-Wife-Mom, we already know each other." Brooke pointed out as Peyton stole Tyler from her arms.

"Yeah, but it's been years. All the kids have grown up a bit."

"Hales, it's been three years. They haven't grown that much." Peyton said.

"Look, it's introduction time, and that's final."

"Yes, mom." Both Peyton and Brooke giggled.

"Now I think everyone remembers James Lucas Scott, from the way he decided to interrupt our high school graduation." Haley said pulling her son towards herself.

"I'm never gonna live that down." Jamie mumbled as he tried to walk away but as Brooke was sitting down she yelled out, "Whoo, strut your stuff baby!" As if he were a model.

Haley scolded her while Jamie laughed and went to hug his aunt, "Andrea." Haley said and Andy stood up to take a bow.

"God, you are the spitting image of Nathan." Peyton said.

"Except, your eyes." Brooke added, "Those are definitely my Tutor girl's eyes."

Jake, Lucas, and Nathan entered the living room with the luggage, "Oh god it's introduction time." Lucas groaned.

"You know about introduction time?" Jamie asked.

"When your mom and I were kids, every time I got a new stuffed animal or an new action figure, she'd gather all mine and hers up and make me introduce them to each other." Lucas said kissing Haley's on the cheek.

"Yeah, and it's yours and Brooke's turn." Haley said.

Lucas and Brooke exchanged uncomfortable glances; Brooke just waved her arm, "Kids tell them your names."

"I'm Keith."

"Keith what?" Haley asked, already knowing.

"Keith Eugene Scott, aunt Haley." He said rolling his eyes, and he really did look like Luke's uncle Keith, it made Haley a little teary when she thought about it. Actually it made everyone a little teary if they thought about it too much.

"I'm Penelope Elizabeth Scott." She said standing up.

"You mean you're Mini- Brooke." Peyton laughed taking the small girls into her arms.

"And darn proud of it." Penelope stated.

Lucas laughed at his little girl.

"And this is my baby Tyler Andrew." Brooke said looking at Haley as if to say 'Happy?'

"Jen." Peyton nodded in her daughter's direction.

She sighed, "I'm Jennifer Nicole Jagelski, you've all know me since I was a year old. "

"I'm Elizabeth Anne Jagelski." Ellie repeated what Peyton whispered in her ear.l

"We good now?" Lucas asked Haley.

"Yes, now come on I'll show you all to your rooms." She said.

* * *

Jenny punched her pillow and cursed under her breath, "This is just great." She punched the pillow a few more times before breaking down in tears.

Keith and Jaime were heading up to Jaime's room when they heard an unfamiliar sound coming from inside.

"Uh Jen?" Keith asked opening the door.

"What?" she snapped wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

"What's the matter?" Jaime asked.

"Nothing is the matter. Everything is just fine." She all but yelled, as she collapsed on the bed in tears again.

Keith made a gesture to Jamie as if to say, 'Do something.'

Jamie made the same gesture to Keith. Both boys rolled their eyes and held out their hands, "Rock, paper, scissors." Jamie whispered.

Keith held up rock while Jamie went with scissors, "Crap." Jamie said then turned to Jenny still crying on the bed, "Look Jen, we know something's wrong. We're like almost your cousins. Just tell us already."

Keith stared at Jamie in shock, "That's how you talk to a crying girl?"

"What?"

"Jenny, what's the matter?" Keith said ignoring his cousin.

"Everything." She said sitting up.

"Okay wanna elaborate?" Jamie asked.

"My parents are separated."

"Aunt Peyton and Uncle Jake?" Keith asked.

"What other parents does she have?" Jamie asked.

"They just told me and El a couple weeks ago and now I have to move out with dad and Ellie is staying with mom and they're gonna buy me a car for my sixteenth birthday."

"What?" Both boys asked.

"My parents are separated!" She repeated.

"But they seem fine." Keith pointed out.

"Yeah, I saw them together at dinner. They were smiling and holding hands." Jamie said.

"It's all an act. They don't want to ruin Christmas for your moms. They're making me and El keep out mouths shut."

"Hence the car." Jamie said nodding.

"Nice." Keith added.

"My parents marriage is falling apart." Jamie offered.

"My parents have been divorced for two years, but they still love each other." Keith shrugged.

"How do you know?" Jenny asked.

"Just they way they look at each other. How they pretend to hate each other. Stuff like that."

"My parents are still in love too." Jamie said.

"I'm sure Peyton and Jake still love each other, Jen. It's just that like my mom and dad they've forgotten."

"What happens if they never remember? Peyton Sawyer isn't my real birth mom, but she is my mom. My whole life just… just ends if they get divorced. I mean Keith you still see Uncle Lucas every weekend, but what if because she's not my mom I don't get to see her? What if they never remember how much they love each other?"

Neither Keith nor Jamie said anything for a while as Jenny's question played over in all three of their heads. It really applied to all of their parents. What if they never remember how much they love each other?

"Then," Jamie started slowly, as if he was debating between saying it, "then we remind them."

* * *

"So P. Sawyer how's the Jagelski clan?" Brooke asked as the three women sat in the living room testing Christmas lights.

"Oh we're good." Peyton lied smiling, "Haley, how about you guys?"

"Oh you know me and Nathan. We've been married since high school. Nothing ever changes. Brooke how's single life?" Haley asked.

"Great." Brooke said quickly, "I met this one guy when I was picking up Pen from ballet. Single dad, really cute."

"You gonna go out with him?" Peyton asked.

"No." Brooke said.

"Why not?" Haley asked, "You and Luke have been separated for two years honey and as far as we know you haven't been on a date since. And don't try to lie, your daughter has a very big mouth."

Brooke debated saying something, then decided to change the subject, "Hey has anyone heard from Mouth?"

* * *

"It's so weird to be doing this again." Lucas said getting out of the car, "God I can't believe the last time I played ball on this court I was dating your wife." He added to Jake, who laughed.

"Yeah well last time I played here my son was only a few months old, now he's eleven." Nathan said grabbing the ball from his trunk.

"Still whooped your ass little brother." Lucas said stealing the ball and taking a shot, which he missed, and Jake grabbed for a rebound.

"God, we're old." Jake said as he missed as well.

"Way too old to be doing this." Lucas said.

"Thank god my son isn't here to see this." Nathan said shaking his head.

"No joke man." Lucas said sitting down, "You know I spent most of my life on this court."

"Pining after one cheerleader after another." Jake laughed.

"While your wife chastised me for wanting the sweet life." Lucas said to Nathan.

"Wasn't that sweet." Nathan sighed sitting next to his brother, "And while we were busy with our melodramatic teenage problems, Jagelski here was raising a baby right under our noses."

Jake shrugged, "While pining after a cheerleader of my own."

"You got her though." Lucas said, "You and Peyton, Jenny and Elizabeth. You got it man."

Jake sighed, "You guys feel like going for a beer?"

"God yes." Nathan said standing.

"Right behind you." Lucas added.

* * *

Okay please review. I know this chapter was kind of short and I'm really sorry. But the next one should be longer.

-Em


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean remind them?" Jenny asked.

"Just what I said." Jamie replied getting up, "Look my parents are in marriage counseling that's getting them no where, your parents are separating and Keith, Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas haven't been together in years but that can all change if we do something about it."

"Yeah but like what?" Keith asked, and Jenny nodded both looking skeptical.

Jamie paused to think it over, "I don't know yet." Both Jen and Keith sighed but Jamie shushed them, "Let's just take the rest of today and think it over."

"Jamie were 13, 11, and 9 respectively what difference could we possibly make?" Jenny asked.

"God, you are so cynical. What do we have to lose? We can't mess things up any more than they have right?"

Jenny and Keith looked at each other and shrugged, "He's right." Keith admitted.

"Of course I'm right," he said exasperated, "I'm Haley's son. Assume from this point on that I'm always right."

* * *

"We are home." Nathan announced a few hours later leading the guys in. 

"And drunk." Brooke said.

"No." Lucas said, pushing his hair from his eyes.

"Luke, I bought you your first beer and got you drunk for the first time about thirteen years ago, I think I can tell when you're inebriated."

"Congratulations." He said bowing to her, "Hey Hales, Peyt."

"Don't start Lucas." Haley warned as she zoned in on her own husband, "Seriously? We have seven children in our home and the three of you are off getting drunk."

Jenny, Keith, and Jamie watched the scene unfold from the top of the stairs, all their parents were fighting now.

"Yeah, they're so in love." Jenny said sarcastically.

"Jen, look at the way my dad is looking at my mom right now." Keith said pointing to Lucas, who was being yelled at by Brooke.

"She's screaming at him." Jenny said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but look at him." Keith pointed, and Jenny still silently protesting looked at Lucas who was grinning at Brooke, even though she was still yelling.

"I call Aunt Brooke." Jenny said.

"What?" Jamie asked.

"Well we can't go about asking our parents how they fell in love, and what they did on their first date, cause we already know that." Jenny said, "Therefore I say we get organized. I'll take Brooke and Lucas, Keith you take Nathan and Haley, which leaves my parents for Jamie."

"Okay so what do we do?" Keith asked.

"Do I have to think of everything?"

"You've only come up with this one part." Jamie said, "I came up with the rest of the plan."

"Whatever, look the point is we each take a set of parents and start from there." She said.

"Okay so I've got to get Haley and Nathan to tell me- hold on," he interrupted himself as his mother's shouting and his fathers drunken rambling got louder. He went to Andy's room and dragged Penelope out, she immediately walked down the stairs with her hands on her hips.

"Mom, dad."

"Yes dear?" Brooke sighed.

"You were saying?" Jenny asked, but Keith held up a finger and shushed her, "Seriously just watch her work." He added.

"I thought we agreed that if me and Keith-"

"Keith and I." Haley corrected, as she dragged Nathan to the kitchen.

"Yeah that, if me and Keith didn't fight you two wouldn't either. And what do I hear happening? Fighting? Why is that?"

Jenny and Jamie watched in disbelief while Keith just grinned at his little sister.

"Penelope." Brooke sighed again.

"We're fighting because mommy is angry that daddy got drunk, with uncle Nathan and uncle Jake." Lucas said.

"Lucas." Brooke said.

"Brooklyn."

Brooke laughed softly, "My name is not Brooklyn."

Haley and Nathan came in from the kitchen with three mugs of coffee, while Peyton and Jake came back from the porch where they had relocated for their own argument.

"Damn." Jenny whispered after Penelope had gone back to Andrea's room, "She is good."

"I know." Keith said.

"Let's make a plan to start tomorrow." Jamie said finally.

"I'm still unclear on the details, but I guess we'll all just figure it out as we go along." Keith shrugged.

"Exactly." Jenny said, standing up, "It's like Jamie said, we can't make things worse."

* * *

The next morning Jenny got up uncharacteristically early and waited in the kitchen for either Brooke or Lucas to wake up. 

She'd hadn't slept that well the night before; Jamie and Keith were okay roommates. At least they didn't snore. But the problem was that all she could think about was her parents, and her aunts and uncles, by extension.

So while trying to sleep, Jenny had come up with a plan. Cause she was not gonna let these six people forget how much they loved each other.

"Hey little girl." Lucas said walking into the kitchen.

"I'm the oldest, Uncle Luke, and I'm definitely not little."

"Nah, I was the first one of the five of us, not counting your dad of course, to meet you. You'll always be that little girl to me, kid."

Jenny rolled her eyes and poured some coffee, "Did you look in on Aunt Brooke when you got up?"

"No, can't say that I did." Lucas said opening one of the kitchen cabinets, "You want some sugarless cereal or sugarless oatmeal?" he added.

"Oh jeez, seriously?" she asked getting up to look.

"Yeah, we're so gonna need to go grocery shopping, cause our kids won't eat any of Haley's health food." Brooke said entering the kitchen in her pajamas.

"We don't even eat Haley's health food." Jamie said as he and Keith followed Brooke.

"Coffee?" Luke offered Brooke.

She nodded, "So what are you three doing today?"

"Well, if your going shopping I'll go with you Aunt Brooke." Jenny said, giving both Keith and Jamie a glance.

"Sure sweetie."

"I was gonna take Tyler, Penelope, and Keith to see my mom and Lilly. Jamie you can come if you want." Lucas said.

"Okay what's everyone want for breakfast?" Haley asked entering the kitchen with Nathan in tow, "Cereal, oatmeal, or bacon and eggs?"

"Bacon and eggs." The whole group answered after a short pause.

"Let me help you, Breakfast Girl." Brooke said putting down her cup.

"Someone wanna go wake up Peyton and Jake?" Luke asked, nodding to Nathan.

"Why the three of you gonna go get drunk again, and leave all the kids to us again?" Haley asked giving Brooke an apron.

"I'll go get them." Jenny said, as Lucas and Nathan began apologizing to their ex-wife and wife, respectively.

* * *

Jenny knocked on the door of the room her parents were sharing. It had struck her as funny the night before when Haley had shown them to the room with only one bed. But after a whole night of thinking she had began to feel bad for her parents. 

"Dad? Mom?" she opened the door to see Peyton asleep on the bed and Jake sleeping on a chair. She sighed all bad feelings gone, "Wake up!"

Jake fell off the chair and Peyton sat up, "What?"

"Anyone could have walked right in here and seen dad asleep on the chair." She said.

"Honey, that wouldn't have happened." Peyton sighed reaching for her robe, she turned to Jake, "You didn't tell the guys anything last night when the three of you were partying did you?"

"Of course not." He sighed kissing Jenny's cheek.

"I'm gonna go to the store with aunt Brooke today." Jenny said, "We're going grocery shopping."

"Ok hon." Peyton nodded.

"And everyone is waiting in the kitchen for you guys to come have breakfast. I'm gonna go wake Ellie."

* * *

"Okay so Nathan and I are going to join Luke and the kids to see Karen, to drop off hers and Lilly's gifts. Then we're gonna go see Deb and our usual obligatory visit to the prison to see Dan for Christmas." Haley told Peyton and Brooke as they cleaned the breakfast dishes. 

"Jenny and I are gonna go food shopping." Brooke said then added to Peyton, "As long as it's okay with you."

"Of course." Peyton shrugged, drying the plates, "So what's Jamie doing when you guys are going to see the grandparents?"

"Well he sees Lilly all the time in school, and Deb picks him up sometimes, and getting him to see Dan is actually harder than it is to get Nathan, so he said he wanted to stay behind."

"Well I don't know if he's got something else to do, but he can come with us to Jake's parents." Peyton suggested.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather he didn't stay at the house alone." Peyton nodded, "You know Brooke I didn't ask, are you okay with all this?"

"All what Tutor Girl?"

"Well not going to see Karen and Lilly, I mean I know how close you guys are, and I know how not close you and Luke are…" Haley trailed off.

"I'm fine Full-of-Concern Girl." Brooke shrugged, "I mean I can just go visit Karen before we leave again, and I mean I spent the whole drive here with Luke, with barely any fights. I'm glad that you invited both of us, even if we aren't married anymore the kids still deserve to be with both of their parents on Christmas."

* * *

Please review, and tell me what you think so far. Oh and I'm sorry I keep forgetting to tell you: Jenny is thirteen, Jamie is eleven, Keith is nine, Andy and Penelope are eight, Ellie is five and Tyler is three. All the adults are about 28-29 years old, depending when their birthdays land.

-Em


	5. Chapter 5

"So what do you eat?" Brooke asked as Jenny grabbed a shopping cart.

"Generally food." Jenny shrugged, Brooke shook her head and mumbled, 'You are so like your mother.' Jenny grinned and added, "Did you make a list?"

"Who makes a list anymore?" Brooke asked.

"People who go to grocery stores."

"Well I used to live with Haley so I know her eating habits, I also used to live with your mom for like two months, not counting the fact that I practically lived at her house for like ten years. I was married to Luke, and I remember that Nathan eats pretty much anything. So basically I just need to know what your dad eats." Brooke said picking up a bag of carrots.

"Hey Aunt Brooke?" Jenny asked nonchalantly, as she put a head of lettuce in a bag.

"What babe?"

"Can I ask you something? Something my mom and dad won't tell me about."

"Sure kid. See when two people love each other- or sometimes don't even love each other, but it's better if they do believe me- they decided to-"

"No!" Jenny interrupted her, "Not that."

"Oh," Brooke laughed, "Then what, sweet heart?"

"What happened between you, my mom, and uncle Lucas all those years ago?"

Brooke froze, and gave Jenny an uncomfortable laugh, "Wha- what do you want to know about that for?"

"Please Aunt Brooke." Jenny asked, "I just want to know. Mom won't tell me cause she says she's kind of ashamed of it, and dad says he doesn't really know the full story."

"Okay Jen let's finish the shopping and then I'll take you to lunch." Brooke said after a minute.

"And you'll tell me?" she asked.

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, I'll tell you."

* * *

"Where's you wife?" Karen asked Lucas as Penelope, Keith, Lilly and Andy opened their presents. Nathan and Haley were currently helping Tyler with his gifts. So Karen stole a chance to talk to her son alone.

"Ex- wife ma." Lucas sighed, "And she's taking Jenny food shopping right now."

"Am I going to get a chance to see my daughter-in-law for the holidays?"

"I don't know," he said trying not to roll his eyes, "You'll have to call your _ex_-daughter-in-law and find out."

"Lucas, you are my son, and I love you, but leaving Brooke was the stupidest thing you ever did."

"I thought getting her pregnant with Keith when we were only 20 was the stupidest thing I ever did." He said picking up a cookie.

"No, that was one of the smartest."

"Grandma!" Penelope called happily from the other room.

Karen went to go see her grandchildren leaving Lucas alone to think.

* * *

"Thanks for bringing me today, you guys." Jamie said.

"No problem kid. Just don't say we didn't warn you." Jake joked.

"What?" Jamie asked confused.

"Don't listen to him," Peyton laughed, "he likes to scare little children."

"I'm eleven, uncle Jake."

"Yeah, well I'm twenty nine…" Jake trailed off, "God I'm old."

"Daddy's old." Ellie called from the back seat next to Jamie.

"So how long have you guys been married?" Jamie asked.

Peyton and Jake exchanged uncomfortable glances, "Uh about eight years, I guess."

"Wow, and my parents have been married for like twelve, right?"

Peyton nodded, "Yeah, hon."

"And Uncle Luke and Aunt Brooke, they were together for like seven or something right?"

"About seven months before Keith was born," Peyton mumbled jokingly to Jake, "Yeah, sweet heart." She added to Jamie, "Why the sudden interest in our marriages?"

"I'm Haley's kid." Jamie said using his all-purpose excuse, "I'm always curious."

* * *

"So, not that we mind hon, but why did you want to come with us instead of staying with your grandma." Haley asked.

"Mom and dad divorced two years ago, and apparently grandma isn't over it. Didn't you hear her and dad fighting in the kitchen when we were opening presents?" Keith asked, "I didn't really want to be around for more of, 'Brooke and I just don't love each other anymore.' And besides mom gave me the present for Deb, so I'll bring it to her."

"And you're okay with going to visit your grandpa in jail?" Nathan asked, "Cause if your not I'd be happy to-"

"You're going." Haley said to Nathan, then added to Keith, "But if you're uncomfortable we can drop you off sweetie."

"No, I uh… I've never met him. I guess I'd kind of like to." Keith said softly.

Nathan and Haley exchanged glances, "Maybe we should ask Brooke and Lucas if that's okay." Haley added as Nathan parked the car.

"Come on Andy." Keith sighed to his cousin, getting out of the car.

"It's not scary there." She said, "It's just this big gray room with Dan in it."

Keith nodded, "Thanks." And the two walked to Deb who had thrown the door open and was waiting.

"Oh where's my little boy?" she asked referring to Jamie, while she hugged Keith and Penelope.

"He went with Jake and Peyton for a little while." Haley said giving her mother-in-law a hug.

"Merry Christmas ma." Nathan said, kissing his mom on the cheek.

* * *

"So how was your birthday party? The big one-three! I'm so sorry we missed it, but you know how hard it is to get off work when you're a big time fashion designer." Brooke said tooting her own horn in a joking way, "Did you get the clothes I sent you?"

"Yes, Aunt Brooke, and I know why you couldn't come for my birthday. I'm wearing the jacket you designed. Now please tell me about you, mom, and uncle Luke." Jenny said sipping her milkshake.

"Okay." Brooke sighed, "Well I didn't really notice Lucas until our junior year of high school. I mean I knew about him, he was like the towns biggest scandal. The Scott family drama, that is, but I didn't really care who he was… till I saw him. I mean really saw him. It happened when he was playing basketball. He doesn't play very often because of his heart condition, but Jenny," Brooke paused and almost sighed, "When that boy plays basketball, it's like poetry or something."

"So it was love at first sight?"

Brooke chuckled, "More like lust at first sight, but you're getting the picture." Jenny nodded, "Well your mom was dating Nathan at the time but she had a little crush on Lucas, or at least what I thought was little. Anyway Lucas liked her back, but she refused to even give him a chance because she was scared, I guess of getting her heart broken- which is ironic, I assure you- and she gave me the go ahead, so I started dating him, completely, blissfully almost, unaware of his feelings for her, for a bit." Brooke broke off here for a minute and looked up at Jenny, "Are you sure you want to hear this next part?"

Jenny paused and nodded, "Please Aunt Brooke."

* * *

"So Jamie is it?" Jake's mom asked.

"Yes, ma'm."

"Well, we're so glad to have you here, honey." She continued, "So you're Nathan and Haley's little boy."

"Eleven year old." Jake said nodding to Jamie.

"Yeah, thanks uncle Jake."

"I got your back."

"Jake, leave the poor kid alone." Peyton said swatting his shoulder.

"Man, you guys remind me so much of my parents," Jamie said, "You're so in love."

Jake froze and Peyton smiled politely, "Yes, they are aren't they?" The older Mrs. Jagelski said, "My Peyton, so much sweeter than that horrible Nikki. The best daughter-in-law a mother could ask for."

"Thanks mom." Peyton said softly accepting a hug. She glanced at Jake over his mom's shoulder but he was busy looking at anything but her.

Jamie smiled to himself.

* * *

"You be careful on the roads and give your father a slap right across the face from me." Deb said hugging Nathan and Haley goodbye.

"Mom." Haley scolded.

"It's his Christmas present." Deb said innocently, Keith laughed.

"By Deb."

"Bye Keith, give my love to your parents and your brother and sister." Deb said kissing his cheek.

* * *

" So when I came back from California, me and Lucas decided to try again, but to keep it strictly casual. We dated each other, and other people… or I did anyway." Brooke said, "I didn't want to get hurt again."

"But you did." Jenny said, reaching her to hold her aunt's hand.

Brooke nodded, "Yeah."

"But Jen, I love your mom. We all made mistakes those years, and I do not hold it against her." Brooke added.

"I know Aunt Brooke, just continue the story."

"Okay so, when Jimmy Edwards uh… well when he came to the school…"

"With a gun." Jenny said, "I know this story, you don't have to tip toe around it. Mom got shot in the leg."

"Right." Brooke said uncomfortably.

* * *

"We'll just stay for a minute." Nathan insisted.

"Nathan, he's your father." Haley muttered unzipping Andrea's coat, "You sure you're okay sweetie?"

"Yeah." Keith nodded, nervously messing with the buttons on his shirt. He'd told Lucas he wanted to meet Dan, after all these years of hearing what an ass this man was, he wanted to make up his own mind. Lucas had volunteered to take him, but he declined saying Nathan and Haley were already going. It was the truth. He did want to meet the man who killed his father's uncle. His grandpa. But when Lucas asked if he was scared… well his reply was definitely a lie.

"You can back out at any time, kid." Nathan said to his nephew, "I don't have that luxury though." He added to Haley.

The guard opened the door and Haley walked in first holding Andrea's hand.

"Hi Mr. Scott." Haley said softly.

"Haley." He nodded just as softly, "Hi Andy."

Andy smiled, "Hi Dan." She didn't call him grandpa. Nathan never encouraged her to, and Haley never discouraged her not to call him Dan.

"Did Nathan come this year?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, he's right outside the door." Haley said sitting down across from Dan.

"Hey dad." Nathan said entering the room.

"Son."

Keith took a deep breath and walked in. Dan's face completely froze when he saw the boy, and Keith tried to give him a smile and a wave.

"You! I confessed! I've been here for eleven years! Stop haunting me Keith!" Dan said angrily.

"Dad!" Nathan said stepping in front of the now scared nine year old, "This is Brooke and Luke's son, Keith."

"What?" Dan asked looking at the child.

"Um hi." Keith said awkwardly waving again.

"Lucas had a son?"

"Two." Haley nodded, "And a little girl."

"He looks so much like-" Dan broke off, "I'm sorry, I frightened you. I'm Dan."

"I know. My mom's shown me your picture." Keith said climbing in the seat next to Nathan.

"So you have a brother and sister? Are they older or younger? What are their names?" Dan asked.

"Has my dad never visited you before?"

Dan looked down at his hands and shook his head, "No. But I don't blame him. Nathan wouldn't be here if Haley didn't make him come once a year."

"Penelope is my little sister, she's eight. Tyler is three."

"So Lucas married Brooke did he?" Dan directed to Haley.

"They uh, they divorced two years ago." She said.

"Oh."

* * *

"Thank you mom." Lucas said picking up all the presents she'd gotten for the kids, "And thanks sis."

"You're welcome Luke." Lilly said kissing her brothers cheek, "You should come visit more often, and tell Brooke I said hi."

"I will." He said, "Bring Tyler to the car for me."

Lilly nodded, "Ok."

"You know Luke, earlier when Keith called to ask you if he could visit Dan, you asked him if he wanted you to go with him." Karen said.

"Yeah."

"Lucas, you've never been to see Dan. You knew he'd tell you no, cause he's your son and you know him. You knew he'd want to do this without you or Brooke."

"Yeah, what's your point ma?" Lucas sighed.

"Lucas one of these days your going to have to forgive him. What he did was horrible and hateful and I will never fully get over losing Keith, but I forgave Dan a very long time ago. You can't carry these feelings around with you Lucas, maybe not today but someday you'll find it's easier to forgive." Karen said hugging her son, "Merry Christmas, and give Brooke a big kiss from me when you get back."

"Ma!" he groaned.

"Merry Christmas." She called out the door.

* * *

"Okay so what happened after mom and Uncle Lucas broke up? How did you two get back together? And then get married?" Jenny asked.

"Oh well see I got into NYU, and I was working on Clothes over Bros, and Lucas was at the same college as Nate and Haley, and your mom was still LA. So about a month after Peyton and Luke broke up, I was offered a spot in a fashion show. Kind of like what I had in high school, the Rogue Vogue thing, I told everyone about it, but I wasn't expecting anyone to show up, but well of course Lucas did."

"So you guys got back together?"

"Sorta. We weren't really into the long distance this so we agreed to try a friends with benef- um" Brooke trailed off.

"Benefits? Aunt Brooke I get it."

"You better not get it till your thirty, young lady."

"You're not thirty!"

"I'm almost thirty and that doesn't matter."

"No duh, cause I'm not having sex. Now please continue the story."

"Okay so Lucas and I were… ehem… seeing each other every couple months to…yeah… if you tell your mother I told you this story Jenny Lynn Jagelski- But anyway it wasn't to long before I was back in love with him, and apparently him me, that I found out I was pregnant with Keith. I told Lucas, he told me he loved me, then proposed." Brooke shrugged, "That's how things were with me and Lucas. Spontaneous, quick, and always meaningful."

"Then why did you guys break up?" Jenny asked feeling like she was really getting somewhere.

Brooke cleared her throat and glanced at her watch, "Okay, it's time to head home."

* * *

"So?" Jamie asked that evening once the other two had gotten to his room.

"I got plenty. I'm moving on to Uncle Luke tomorrow." Jenny said.

"I didn't get much… me, Nathan, Haley, and Andrea visited Dan today." Keith said still slightly unnerved.

Jamie nodded understanding, "I didn't get much either but like Jen said we've got tomorrow."

"We've got six more days guys." Jenny said.

Jamie heard laughing coming from downstairs, and shrugged, "We've still got tonight."

* * *

Okay please review.

-Em


	6. Chapter 6

Jamie pulled out a notebook, "Okay. I think we've been going about this wrong. All unorganized and just… ah. So here, everyone take a piece of paper and write what you found out today, then pass it to the person whose parents you have and then add notes about your own parents."

Keith and Jenny stared at him, "Okay I have no idea what you just said to us, but Jamie, I'm going to put this gently cause I know your mom's a teacher. This is Christmas break. We're not doing homework."

"But Jen-" he started.

"No." she interrupted, "No homework. We'll figure this out, without write essays."

"How exactly do you plan on going about that?" Jamie asked.

"I'm not sure yet. But I know for damn sure I'm not gonna write it down."

"Uh guys?" Keith asked, they both turned to face him, and he shrugged, "Can't we just tell each other?"

Jamie and Jenny both paused and Jenny added, "Pretend that argument didn't just happen."

"Deal." Jamie said, "You're up buddy."

"Right, so Nathan and Haley were their normal light fluffy coupley makes you sick kind of thing, but it felt fake, like they were only doing it for my dad and my grandma's benefit. Uncle Nathan seriously resents the fact that Aunt Haley makes him go to see Dan."

"Yeah, mom makes him go every year. He absolutely hates it. They sometimes argue for days over it." Jamie said.

"Yeah but at the same time I think he's… grateful that she does it. Grateful that she won't let him give up on his father." Keith finished.

"Brooke is still hopelessly in love with Lucas." Jenny piped up, "I had her tell me the whole high school drama story."

"Oh yeah, that's messy." Keith commented.

"What happened?" Jamie asked.

Jenny and Keith gave him the abridged version, and Jenny continued, "So I asked her why they broke up, and she announced it was time to go home. James?"

"Did you know your grandparents don't know your parents are separated?"

"No way. They didn't tell the grandparents Jagelski?" Jenny asked, "No wonder they had no problem with me going shopping instead of coming with."

"Anyway your grandma kept going on about what a great daughter Peyton is and how lucky she is to have Peyton as a member of the family. Good stuff like that." Jamie said.

Jenny nodded, "Grandma has always been a mom to mom. She lost both of hers when she was young. One at like eight and the other at eighteen. Grandma always makes a fuss over her."

"Well what do you guys think our next moves should be?" Keith asked.

"Well I guess I'm gonna talk to Uncle Luke, tomorrow like I said. See what I can get out of him. Maybe find out what was the cause of the break-up." Jenny shrugged.

"I got a lot of vibes from Aunt Peyton today but basically nothing from Uncle Jake. I guess I should start on him." Jamie added.

"I'm going to talk to Uncle Nathan about Dan and then see if I can swing the conversation to him and Aunt Haley." Keith said.

There was a knock on the door that made all three of them gasp in surprise.

"Come in." Jamie called.

Brooke and Lucas opened the door, "Hey kids, sorry. We know it's late but can we talk to Keith for a bit?"

"Sure." Keith said to his mother, while the other two nodded.

After the door had closed again Jenny turned to Jamie, "If we had notebooks we would have been busted." Jamie rolled his eyes.

* * *

"What's up?" Keith asked when they got to Brooke's room, which was across the hall from Luke's. 

"We wanted to talk to you about what happened today." Lucas said.

"At the prison." Brooke added, "Nathan and Haley told us about… well about what Dan said when you walked in."

"I'm fine." Keith said clearly not wanting to talk about it.

"Keith." Lucas said, "Don't take that tone with your mother."

"Sorry. Look I'm fine. Can't we just leave it?" he asked.

"Keith, this was a big thing for you. You met your grandfather today in a prison." Brooke said taking his hand, "He thought you looked like-"

"Brooke." Lucas interrupted.

"What?" she asked.

"I don't think Keith wants to talk about that part."

"Keith doesn't want to talk about it? Or Lucas doesn't want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Keith doesn't want to talk about any of it." Keith said standing, "Night mom, dad." He added kissing his mother's cheek, and heading straight for the door.

Brooke sighed, "He's okay right?"

Lucas nodded, "Yeah, he's uh he's fine." The same could not be said for him however and Brooke knew it. But she let him walk out her door without a word anyway.

* * *

Peyton made the bed and glanced over her shoulder to Jake trying to get comfortable on the chair, "You know you could take the bed for the night. I don't mind sleeping on the chair tonight." 

"I'm fine." Jake said, "Just go to sleep."

Peyton sat down and looked at him, "Is this really what you want?"

Jake knew she wasn't talking about the chair but he refused to answer the other question, "Yeah." He nodded, "The chairs fine."

Peyton nodded refusing to let any tears fall, "Okay, goodnight."

* * *

"So Brooke, Peyton, and I are going to the mall tomorrow for some last minute Christmas shopping." Haley said as she and Nathan lay in bed. 

He was reading one of his sports magazines, "Oh yeah? Have fun."

Haley nodded, "Yeah. Is there anything you need me to pick up? A last present you might have forgot?"

"Nope. I got everything."

"Okay." Nathan reached over and hit the lights. Haley rolled and faced one side, Nathan rolled to face to other and they both fell soundly asleep.

* * *

Brooke could always tell when Tyler was awake. Even if it was three in the morning and he wasn't making a sound, she still knew. Which is why at three in the morning she pulled on her robe and headed for Andrea's room. 

"Hey baby boy." She whispered.

"Momma." He said.

"Shh, come one, honey." She said lifting him out of the crib.

"Mom?" Penelope yawned sleepily.

"Go back to sleep, baby girl." Lucas said from the doorway having heard and followed Brooke.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Why's he awake?" Lucas asked as they walked back down the hall.

"Cause he's your son." Brooke laughed.

"What?"

"Lucas you were always awake and doing something at all hours of the night. Usually writing." She said as he held her door open for her, "I'd find you asleep in the oddest places, and I'd have to find a spare blanket to cover you."

Lucas paused at the doorway, "_You_ used to cover me with a blanket?"

"Did you think there was a blanket fairy?" she asked sarcastically.

"No, I- I guess I never really thought about it."

"I know." She nodded, "Okay Tyler it's very late- or early rather- and mommy is very tired so let's get to the route of your insomnia, so I can sleep." She added kissing his cheeks.

"No tired mommy."

"Yes tired Tyler." Lucas said, deciding to shelf the conversation for now.

* * *

"Hey Keith, I do believe Christmas has come a few days early for you." Jenny said waking both him and Jamie. 

"What?" Keith asked yawning.

"Come on." She said grabbing his arm, she nodded to Jamie too, and she dragged them both down the stairs to Brooke's room, "Now be really quiet." She added as she opened the door.

There on Brooke's bed were Lucas and Brooke both sleeping soundly with Tyler in the middle. Brooke's hand was holding Tyler's left and Luke was holding Tyler's right.

"Go Ty." Keith said closing the door.

"I came to find Aunt Brooke to help make breakfast before Aunt Haley could force sugarless cereal on us when I found them." Jenny said, "You're welcome."

"You know they aren't back together right?" Keith asked as the headed for the kitchen.

"But come on they're in the same bed." Jenny said.

"Yeah, for Tyler. There's not much mom and dad won't do for one of us." Keith said, "Don't get me wrong it's definitely progress, you're just not there yet."

"Christmas Vacation is supposed to be relaxing." Jamie said as Jenny groaned into her hands.

"This was your idea." Keith pointed out.

"I know, I just didn't realize how hard it was gonna be."

"Did you think all we needed to do was hang some mistletoe and they'd all start making out like teenagers?" Jenny asked rhetorically.

The three paused and grinned at one another before high-fiving Jenny.

* * *

When Lucas and Brooke finally woke up and exited Brooke's room the kids pretended they didn't know anything. When Tyler piper up, "Mommy and daddy slept in my bed." Later they pretended they didn't hear him. When they started arguing over what Christmas song they were listening to on Tyler's first Christmas Keith called Penelope in to break up the fight. 

"We were not fighting." Brooke said.

"Yeah Pen sometimes that how adults talk to each other." Lucas said, "Especially ones with mouths as big as your mother."

Brooke gasped and slapped his shoulder, "Yeah and ones with heads as big as your father."

"What are you two going on about now?" Haley asked walking into the living room, "God, you'd swear you're still married."

Both Brooke and Lucas shut up.

"So when do you want to leave for the mall?" Brooke asked changing the subject.

"I guess before lunch. Luke you guys will be okay with all seven kids?"

"You mean can we handle our children with the mothers around?" he asked Haley, "Yeah I think we'll be fine."

"Okay but make sure Nathan doesn't swear in front of them. And don't give Jamie and Andy junk food."

"Hales, I still have the laminated index card or rules from the first time I babysat Jamie ten years ago."

"Seriously?" Brooke asked.

Lucas nodded and pulled out his wallet, "I figured when they decide it's time to cart Haley away someone has to take care of them. Nathan will be too stricken with grief to do anything but cry, "Haley? Where's Haley?"

"Ha ha." Haley added flatly.

* * *

"Say Uncle Jake?" Jamie asked when they were alone that afternoon. Nathan had been recruited for a tea party with Andy, Penelope, and Ellie, and Lucas had to put Tyler down for a nap. 

"Yeah kid?"

"How did you and Aunt Peyton get back together all those years ago? I mean I know how Uncle Luke and Peyton broke up prompting Keith's parents to give it another try. But what made you and Aunt Peyton decided to get back together?"

"Oh, jeez." Jake muttered, "Well uh Jamie, I guess Jenny was about six or seven. We had moved back to Tree Hill when I won custody of her. I was walking Jenny home from school she was in first grade at the time and- Jamie are you sure you wouldn't rather play catch or something? I'm really good at catch."

"Uncle Jake."

"Fine," he sighed, "So we were walking home and our route took us right by Peyton's old house -Her dad was selling it and she had come home to I guess say goodbye- well I was concentrating on the road and the cars when Jenny stopped dead in her tracks and said, "It's her." And I asked her whom she was talking about, and she pointed up the driveway and said, "That's the lady from my dreams."

"And what did you say to me?" Jenny asked walking into the kitchen. She already knew, but that didn't mean she didn't want to hear him say it.

Jake smiled at his daughter, "I looked up to where you were pointing and I said, "That's the lady from my dreams too."

Jenny's smile faded as she remembered the situation they were now in, "Then what happened?" Jamie asked.

"He kissed her." Jenny answered emotionless, "No words or anything. He just walked up to her scoped her in his arms and kissed her."

"Well thanks Uncle Jake. Come on Jen." Jamie said dragging her out, "Hey Uncle Luke." He added as Lucas entered the kitchen.

"Hey bud." Lucas looked at Jake who was staring at the sandwich he'd made, "What's going on man?"

"Nothing."

Lucas watched his friend for a minute before asking, "Do you wanna go take pictures of Nathan sipping tea in Andy's costume jewelry and make-up?" Jake looked up and grinned.

* * *

"So spill Tutor Girl." Brooke said as the girls looked in their favorite clothing store for old times sake. 

"Spill what?" Haley asked.

"What'd you get Nathan this year?" Peyton clarified, then added, "God, remember when we could fit into this stuff?" She held up a tiger striped halter that resembled one she had as a teenager.

"Oh I got him a sweater." Haley shrugged.

Peyton and Brooke stopped and stared at her, "A sweater?" the asked in unison.

"What?" Haley asked, "It's a nice sweater."

"Hales, you don't get your husband a sweater." Brooke said.

"What did you get Lucas?" she asked.

"That doesn't matter. Luke and I aren't married anymore. I actually _can_ get him a sweater." Brooke shrugged, "But I bought him a new laptop."

Peyton and Haley turned to stare, "A laptop?"

"What?"

"You bought your ex-husband a laptop? Brooke those things run like what six hundred dollars?"

"I bought a Mac." She said softly, "What? Look he's the father of my children. Writing is his career. It'd be like if he bought me a really nice sewing machine."

"A sewing machine that costs nine hundred dollars!" Haley said, "Nathan's sweater was like forty. I'm almost afraid to ask what you got Jake, Peyton."

Peyton shrugged, "Not much, just a new guitar."

"Oh god, why did I buy Lucas such an expensive present?" Brooke moaned.

"Why did I buy Nathan such a cheap present?"

"Oh Haley just buy him a new basketball and your problems are solved. The laptop was non-refundable."

"She's right." Peyton shrugged to Haley.

"Okay let's go to the sporting good store."

"Oh!" Brooke clapped her hands together, "Buy him a new hoop."

"What?" Haley asked, "You said basketball."

"Hales, come on. He'd love it."

"Stop trying to make me buy an expensive gift just so yours doesn't look so extravagant."

"Haley, please." Brooke begged, "It'd be a perfect gift for him."

"For Nathan or for Lucas?" Peyton asked.

"I don't know." Brooke admitted, "Both."

"Fine, but only because Nathan could really use a new hoop." Haley admitted.

"We should leave this store." Peyton said glancing around at all the seventeen year old girls staring at the three almost thirty year olds.

* * *

Okay please review. I just wrote the last two chapters of this story, so all I gotta do now is fill in the blanks. Wish me luck. 

-Em


	7. Chapter 7

The kids had been in bed for about an hour. Brooke had broken out the wine bottle about forty-five minutes ago, and all three of the girls forbade the men to drink proclaiming they already had their turn.

"Some one needs to be sober for the kids." Haley said accepting another glass of wine.

When they were sufficiently drunk Nathan grinned to the other two and walked over to the piano. Usually he cursed every minute his mother ever made him take piano lessons. Except on the occasions like this one, when there was fun to be had. Jake and Lucas had no idea what he was doing when he sat down at the bench, but Brooke caught that gleam in his eyes and got the other two's attention.

"All right you chipmunks." Nathan said playing a few notes.

Jenny, Keith, and Jamie gave each other odd glances from their usual spot on the stairs.

"Simon?"

"Okay!" Haley answered.

"Theodore?"

"Okay!" Peyton jumped up only slightly buzzed.

"Alvin?" Nathan called, Brooke took a long sip of her wine while Nathan continued, "Alvin? ALVIN!"

"O-kay!" she yelled

_Christmas, Christmas time is here!_

_Time to toys and time for cheers!_

_We've been good but we can't last,_

_Hurry Christmas, hurry fast._

"What are they doing?" Jenny asked laughing.

"Mom told me about this once." Keith said shaking his head, "Peyton's dad wasn't around so mom invited her over for Christmas, the year Haley and my mom were living together, and Haley was playing with her keyboard while they all drank to quote my mother _"Special Eggnog"_ She started playing this song and my mom and Peyton sang along. Nathan kicked Haley off the keyboard and played it for them and all three girls sang along. She told me the first Christmas after she and my dad split."

"I wanna sing it again!" Brooke said partly in character but mostly cause she was drunk.

"Brooke." Nathan laughed.

"Yeah why can't we sing it again?" Haley asked laughing as she sat next to Nathan on the bench.

"Let's sing it again." Peyton chimed in.

"Girls." Lucas said attempting to wrestle the wine out of Brooke's hand.

Peyton sat on the couch next to Jake and drunkenly leaned her head on his shoulder.

"God, why can't we just keep them all drunk forever?" Jenny asked.

"They are always happy that way." Jamie agreed.

"Come on guys let's go to bed." Keith said, not wanting to see his parents being happy when he knew it wouldn't last. Not unless Jenny, Jamie, and himself came up with a better plan that the ones they had.

* * *

"Five days." Jenny exclaimed waking Jamie and Keith.

"Jeez." Jamie exclaimed looking at the clock, "Jenny it's five in the morning."

"We have five days to fix our parents marriage Jamie." She repeated, "I thought the two of you _might_ care."

"We do." Keith said sitting up and yawning.

"Yeah, but not at _five in the morning_." Jamie complained getting up.

"Just get up." She said shoving them both, "And meet me in the kitchen."

* * *

"What are we doing?" Jamie asked taking the toast Jenny handed them both.

"Christmas is in four days, we leave in five. Our parents are not back together." Jenny said stating the facts.

"Yeah?" Keith said.

"Guys," Jenny said seriously, "We need to do something."

"Jen, we're trying our best. We had seven days to fix our parents; it's only been two. Give us a break." Jamie said.

"Fine." She sighed.

"Let's just get to work." Keith suggested holding up the bag of mistletoe they'd managed to get the day before.

* * *

"How long have you three been awake for?" Haley asked walking through the living room.

The three kids had collapsed on the couch after hanging mistletoe on every available door, leading to the outside.

"Not long." They all lied.

"Well who's hungry?" she asked.

"As long as it has sugar." Brooke chimed in entering the living room behind Haley with Tyler in her arms, "How'd you sleep Tutor Girl?"

"Fine." Haley said, kissing her nephew on the head before Brooke put him down, "You?"

"Alone." Brooke said, as if being accused.

Haley laughed, "God, you haven't been that jumpy to that question since we lived together, and you used to sneak Lucas in."

Brooke nodded, "Yeah well unfortunately, these days I actually mean it." She paused and looked back up at Haley, "Not that uh… I want Lucas. I was just talking about a man. Not that Lucas isn't a man."

"Glad we all agree on that." Lucas said from the stairs.

"Ha ha." Brooke deadpanned hiding her blushing cheeks, "Come on Hales let's go make breakfast."

"Yeah," Haley laughed, "Oh Luke can you grab the paper? It should be on the porch."

Jenny's eyes lit up, "Aunt Brooke you wanna help me sneak in mom and dad's present while they're still sleeping?"

"Yes!" Brooke said excited, "I love presents."

"Okay it's in our trunk." Jenny said.

Both Brooke and Lucas started walking through the door, "Mom! Dad! Wait!" Keith yelled, and they both stopped in mid step right in the doorframe.

"What?" they both asked.

Keith dropped his head into his hands, "Never mind."

Haley looked at them and laughed.

"What?" Brooke asked still confused by her son's actions.

"You're under the mistletoe." She said through her giggles, "You guys have to kiss."

Brooke and Luke looked up, then at each other, "Hales." Luke started.

"Nope," she shook her head, "It's Christmas Law."

Brooke sighed and glared at her, "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Lucas rolled his eyes, "So romantic."

"Shut up." She said.

"Don't make me call Penelope." Keith said.

Brooke leaned in and brushed her lips against his, and for one second she forgot herself. She forgot they were divorced, she forgot they hadn't been together for two years she forgot everything. All she knew was she was Brooke and he was Lucas and they were kissing. But he pulled back and she made some quip about better kisses she's been given and quickly walked to Jake and Peyton's car, waiting for Jenny.

"Nice acting skills." Jenny commented to Keith before she got up to follow Brooke out the door, "What was that anyway?"

"I'm not supposed to be trying to fix them up remember? None of us are. We have to pretend like we're perfectly happy with all of them being split if we don't want to get caught." He reminded her.

She nodded and walked out the door.

"Where did the mistletoe come from?" Haley asked.

Jamie and Keith exchanged glances, "Uh, some lady was selling it door to door." Jamie lied.

"Yeah, we think she was homeless, so we bought a lot of it." Keith added.

Haley nodded, not completely sure if she believed them but she figured what could be so bad about the truth so she let it alone, "What do you guys want for breakfast?"

* * *

"So uh Uncle Nathan?" Keith started that evening. So far the three of them had been able to trick Peyton and Jake and Brooke and Lucas under the mistletoe but not Nathan and Haley, and they'd tried_everything_.

"What's up kid? Got something else for me to get from outside?"

"No, it's not that." In truth he had told Jenny and Jamie that he was going to try to get Nathan and Haley in a doorway, but really he'd wanted to talk to Nathan since they'd visited Dan a few days ago.

"Then what?" Nathan asked sensing his nephew's tone, he sat down on the stool next to the counter.

"When we went to the… to the prison…"

"Yeah?" Nathan asked getting a little uncomfortable.

"It wasn't… it wasn't what I expected."

"What do you mean?"

Lucas stopped on the porch hearing his brother and son's voices. He had gone out back to gather some firewood Jenny had asked for so they could start a fire. Of course Jamie had asked Brooke to grab something from the porch but they'd all caught on to the kid's games, and Lucas said he'd just get it when he grabbed the firewood.

"He wasn't…" Keith started, "He wasn't the guy I'd imagined. I mean… he didn't- he didn't look like a killer."

"How is a killer supposed to look?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know, like they do on TV. All wild eyed and angry. I mean even when he yelled, he didn't look angry he just looked… scared." Keith said, "I mean, he thought I was… he thought I was…"

"I know." Nathan interrupted, noting the kids discomfort.

"Right," Keith said nodding, "and he looked afraid… and sorry. Are killers sorry they killed?"

Nathan looked up at him and nodded, "Yeah. Sometimes they are sorry. Sometimes they are really sorry, and they can't even believe they did it."

"Then why do they in the first place?" Keith asked and Nathan could hear the desperation in the boy's voice, he needed to understand why his grandfather killed his… other grandfather.

"I… I don't know little man. Sometimes people do bad things and there are no reasons for it." Nathan said.

Keith nodded, "Thanks Uncle Nathan."

"Look Keith anytime you need to talk about Dan or- about anything man… I'm your uncle, you can come to me always."

"Thanks." Keith said leaving the kitchen.

Nathan waited a minute before following. Lucas then walked into the kitchen with the firewood, with a troubled look on his face. He put the firewood in the living room with Jenny then walked out to the front porch and sat on the swing.

* * *

Brooke watched him come in and go. She knew something was wrong, but… they weren't married anymore so it really wasn't her place… right?

"Brooke?" Haley said nudging her friend.

"Yeah?" Brooke asked shaking her head.

"Sweetie, I'm going up to bed. Are you okay? You haven't said anything in over an hour."

"What are you talking about?" Brooke asked and looked around the room for support only to find everyone else was gone, "Where is everyone?"

"Honey they went to bed a while ago. Well everyone except Lucas, he's still on the porch. Are you sure your okay?"

Brooke nodded, "Where's Tyler?"

"Jake put him to bed for you."

"Remind me to thank him in the morning." Brooke said hugging Haley goodnight.

* * *

"What are you brooding about?" Brooke asked stepping out into the cold to talk to Lucas. She had one of Haley's wool blankets wrapped tightly around herself and Lucas made room for her on the porch swing, so she offered him some blanket, "Well?" she asked again when he didn't answer.

"Keith went with Haley and Nathan to visit Dan the day before yesterday."

Brooke nodded, "I know."

"Brooke I haven't seen him since my senior year of high school. My son went with my brother to meet the monster who killed my uncle. My father."

"Luke." Brooke started, "You offered to go with him."

"Yeah, but I wasn't going to go." he said, "I didn't realize it at the time, but Brooke you know I would have come up with some reason to get out of it. I told you back when we had Keith -and you wanted us to start sharing everything, remember?- about how Nathan and I chickened out during the junior/senior party. I haven't seen him since I almost shot him in my mother's kitchen."

Brooke took a minute to process this information, "Lucas, he killed Keith, it's natural for you to be... upset and angry about it."

"But for eleven years? Dan took Keith from my mom and their baby. He stole Lilly's father from her and my mom forgave him a long time ago. I mean it's not like she's going to invite him over for tea anytime soon but she forgave him."

"But he didn't just steal Lilly's father and her husband, Luke. He took Keith from you too. He took Keith from all of us."

"Did you forgive him?" Lucas asked point blank.

Brooke paused debating whether or not to answer him, and finally she nodded, "Years ago." Lucas looked down at his hands angrily, "Lucas listen to me. If you're not ready to forgive Dan than _you're_ not ready to forgive Dan. It doesn't matter if I have or your mother did, or Nathan or Haley, or the rest of the world. He took your father from you in the most horrible way so that's for you to choose when he deserves your forgiveness. But Luke," he looked back up at her, his eyes still pleading for help, "You wouldn't be so upset about this if you didn't think you might be already be ready." Brooke leaned in and kissed his cheek then walked into the house leaving the blanket with him.

Brooke was in her room for about five minutes before Lucas walked through the door and fell on the bed kissing her.

* * *

Okay please review. I hope you guys like it.

-Em


	8. Chapter 8

"That was a mistake." Brooke said nervously as she held the sheet around herself.

"Definitely." Lucas agreed.

"And the second time was an even bigger mistake."

"But not quite as big as the third." Lucas shrugged, and Brooke bit her lip, "I'm gonna go to my room so uh... well just cause." Brooke nodded and politely averted her eyes as he got up.

"Bye." Brooke said when she heard the door open.

"Brooke," he said pausing at the door, "Thanks for uh... well for what you said earlier."

"It was nothing."

* * *

Brooke peaked out her door, and when she saw no sigh of Lucas she quickly ran from her room to the kitchen. Haley, Peyton, and all the kids were there finishing breakfast.

"Morning mommy." Penelope said getting up to kiss her mother.

"Hi baby." She said, "Hey listen Keith, why don't you take all your cousins outside to play?"

"What?" he asked rinsing off his plate before putting it into Haley's dishwasher.

"Keith, please? I need to talk to your aunts."

"Okay, come on guys." Keith said picking up Tyler.

"Come on Pen, Andy, El, let's get your coats." Jenny said nodding to Brooke.

"Thanks kids." Brooke said patting Jamie's head as he passed.

"Okay, B. Davis-Scott, what's up?" Peyton asked, once the kids were cleared out.

"Lucas and I had sex last night." Brooke said in a whisper.

"What?" Haley and Peyton yelled.

"Shh! The boys will here you!" Brooke said swatting at them.

The three girls glanced around to make sure no one had heard, "What does this mean?" Haley asked, while Peyton demanded, "How was it?"

Brooke chewed on her thumbnail, "I don't know." she said to Haley then added to Peyton, "So good, but so... so wrong. We're divorced. We're not horny teenagers anymore. We have three children to think of."

* * *

"I mean I couldn't do that to Keith, Pen, and Tyler. Give them false hope like that." Lucas told Jake and Nathan. Lucas had made them go to the garage so the girls wouldn't hear them.

"But man what if-?" Jake started but Lucas cut him off.

"There can't be a what if. Brooke and I ended. We got divorced and that's the end of our story."

"No offence man," Nathan started, "But you and Brooke are never over." he clapped Lucas on the back and got up to grab another beer from the fridge.

"Why do you have a fridge in the garage?" Jake asked.

"For situations like this." Nathan shrugged.

"Do you usually have conversations in the garage that your wife can't overhear?" Nathan paused to think about it while Lucas left shaking his head.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Penelope asked walking up behind Jamie, Keith, and Jenny.

"Nothing." Keith said.

"Why are you following our moms and dads around?" Andrea piped up.

"We're not." Jamie said.

"We're eight not stupid. Keith you're a year older than me, just tell me."

"Pen, this is important okay? You can't know."

"Keith, who do I take after?" she asked her hands on her hips.

"Mom." He sighed.

"Right, so either you tell us what's going on or I'll go to mom, aunt Haley, and aunt Peyton." She said.

Jamie, Jenny, and Keith exchanged glances, before Keith groaned, "Fine! But Squirt, you listen and you listen good. One, we make no promises, just cause we're doing this doesn't mean anything's gonna come from it, so don't get your hopes up. Two, not a word to your mom, your dad or anyone else except us. Three, I know I said it already but you guys we're serious, don't get your hopes up."

"Fine, just tell us." Andy said.

"We're trying to get the parents back together." Jenny said.

* * *

"Are you okay dad?" Keith asked. He had been watching his father pace around the front yard all morning. It was now after lunch and Lucas showed no time of stopping.

Luke laughed bitterly, "No, son, I'm not okay."

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Lucas shook his head, "No. Your dad just did something… not exactly stupid, but not really smart either, last night."

Keith tilted his head to look at Lucas, "Did you tell mom?"

"She knows."

"What did she say?"

"She agrees with me, kiddo, says it was not smart. Says it was a _mistake_."

"I'm sorry dad."

"Me too, Keith." Lucas shook his head again, "But it'll be fine. Are you okay though man?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, I mean about going to see Dan. I know you didn't really want to talk to us the other night but… well if you need to, I am your dad, and Dan is my dad. I do know."

"I'm fine." Keith said turning to go back to his cousins.

* * *

"So did you hear?" Peyton asked Jake as they wrapped some presents in their room that afternoon.

"About?" he asked.

"Brooke and Lucas."

"Oh yeah, Luke told me and Nate this morning." Jake nodded.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"That they both agreed it was a mistake."

"That's what she said too. What do you think?"

"Are we actually sitting here gossiping about our best friends?" Jake asked one eyebrow up, Peyton nodded, "Well obviously they're kidding themselves."

* * *

"I told him that he and Brooke were never over." Nathan said as he and Haley made their bed.

"I know. Brooke brought up that they couldn't do that to the kids. But what I didn't say was, you think it's better for them this way? With their parents fighting over who gets them when. Especially when it's obvious that they are both still in love." Haley said.

* * *

Jenny, Keith, Jamie, Andy, and Penelope were sitting around the living room.

"Where is everyone?" Jenny asked.

"My dad is still pacing in the snow." Keith said.

"Mom's focusing all her energy on Tyler." Pen supplied.

"My parents are making beds." Jamie said.

"Mine are wrapping presents." Jenny said finally, she turned to Pen and Andy, "You guys know what to do today right?" They both nodded, "Good. Penelope don't start till after dinner though that way it's more likely to work."

"I got it Jenny." Pen said rolling her eyes.

"I've got Nathan and Haley covered tonight." Keith said messing with something in his pocket.

"I'm gonna see if Aunt Peyton wants to go sleigh riding." Jamie said.

* * *

"What are you doing in here kid?" Nathan asked, entering the laundry room.

"I checked aunt Haley's chore wheel and I saw that you were on laundry duty."

"Feeling like another heart to heart?"

"Nah, I wanted to help out." Keith shrugged.

"You're our guest man." Nathan said pulling some towels out of the dryer, "You don't need to do chores."

"I always do laundry at home. I don't know how mom and dad got by before I was born and learned how to wash their clothes." Keith said.

"Well your mom had maids, and in college your dad used to bring his clothes home to your grandma, but then again until I was seventeen, my mom did my laundry too. I only learned how when I married your aunt and she started her chore wheel."

Keith grinned, "Yeah, you must love aunt Haley a lot."

Nathan paused then nodded, "Yeah. She's… well she's everything to me."

"My mom and dad used to say things like that, then one day they just stopped and then they got divorced." He said folding a towel.

"I- well-" Nathan tried to say but trailed off.

* * *

"Uncle Lucas," Jenny started, "I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"Stop pacing and I'll tell you." She said, Lucas stopped and moved to lean on the tree next to her, and offered a sheepish grin, "Thank you. Okay now Uncle Lucas what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone. Not even Aunt Brooke okay?"

Lucas paused, "Jen is this something… well something your parents know about? Cause I want to be someone you can talk to, but I'm not going to help you keep something from your mom and dad."

"You don't have to worry about my mom and dad Uncle Luke. They know. They're actually the reason I need you to keep it a secret, cause I'm supposed to keep it a secret only… well I can't do it anymore Uncle Lucas. I don't understand and they won't talk about it and- I just want to scream at them!"

"Okay, okay. Calm down kid." Lucas said putting a hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"Do I have your word?" Lucas nodded, "My parents are separated."

* * *

"So I bet you tell Aunt Haley you love her everyday. Probably even more than once a day." Keith said pulling a blanket out of the dryer.

"Well… I mean when you've been married for as long as me and Haley…" Nathan trailed off.

"Dad used to tell mom he loved her every single day… and then he just kind of stopped." Keith turned from Nathan pretending to be sad, but really he was just trying to hide his grin, he turned back and added, "But not you and Haley. You tell her you appreciate her everyday. Right?" he didn't wait for an answer as he continued, "And I guess you tell her how much she means to you all the time huh?"

Nathan paused and then lied, "Yeah all the time kid."

"And how much you love the things she does for you." Nathan remained silent, "Oh and of course the things you love doing with her." Nathan sank down on the chair deep in thought, Keith grinned and added, "I'm going to go find Jamie. See you later Uncle Nathan." Nathan gave him a small-preoccupied wave.

* * *

"So anyway I promised I wouldn't say anything so you can't!" Jenny finished sternly.

"I won't." he assured her then added more to himself, "Jake and Peyton broke up."

"Yeah." She added softly.

"So what did- uh- what did you need me for Jen?"

"Why did you and Aunt Brooke break up?"

"What?" Lucas asked confused.

"You guys were in love," Jenny said almost pleading, "and now you're not. I need to know how two people can just wake up not loving each other anymore. It shouldn't happen. Why does it happen? Uncle Luke please!"

Lucas opened his mouth, then closed it again, then opened it, "Jen-"

"Lucas don't give me a speech about love never dying and my mom and dad will always love me, cause I've heard it already okay? They practically recited it out of a book. What happens when your mom and dad break up but your mom wasn't really your mom anyway? Huh?" she demanded, "I don't want you to tell me everything will be okay, cause it won't."

"Uncle Luke, please, why did you and Aunt Brooke break up?"

* * *

Okay I'm not sure if I'm 100 happy with this chapter. I'm at like 90.

Oh and just to be clear Jenny's outburst at the end is supposed to be the stuff she's been holding in since Jake and Peyton told her they were separating. When I re-read it I thought for a second that I had wrote Jenny giving up, but it's not in case any of you got what I did.

But you guys aren't crazy obsessive like me. Lol

Please review.

-Em


	9. Chapter 9

_"Hey there little man." Lucas said picking up Tyler._

"_Duh." Tyler gurgled happily._

"_Dad." Lucas corrected._

"_Lucas? Is that you?" Brooke called from the kitchen._

"_No, it's some stranger, coming to kidnap you and take you away from all this. We'll make mad passionate love on the beach day and night." He said entering the kitchen and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind._

"_Let me just go pack." She said absentmindedly as she stirred the sauce, "Listen, Nicole called and I need to go in to the office, so you have to pick up Keith from school, and drop Penelope off at ballet."_

"_What?" he asked, "Brooke, my next chapter is due in a week. I only have five pages."_

"_Can't it be a short chapter?" she pleaded, "Luke I need to go in. I haven't been in the office at all this week."_

_Lucas sighed, "I'll figure something out."_

"_Thank you." She said kissing his cheek, and grabbing her coat, "Let that boil for another ten minutes then turn off the burner. I'll be home by dinner. Bye baby." She added to Tyler._

"_I love you." Lucas called and was answered with the door slamming._

* * *

"_Hello?" Lucas greeted, picking up his phone._

"_Luke? Honey when are you gonna be home?" Brooke asked._

"_I don't know, Pretty Girl. They're sending me a new _babysitter_. She was supposed to be here an hour ago."_

"_Luke, it's our anniversary." Brooke pouted._

"_I know, baby. I'll try to be home as soon as I can." He sighed._

"_The kids are out of the house, and we were gonna have some _alone_ time." Lucas groaned, oh how he missed alone time._

"_As soon as possible." He said. There was a knock on his door and he added, "I think she's here. I love you."_

"_Love you too. I'll be waiting." She added in that breathy voice he loved so much. _

_Lucas let out a small whimper before calling, "Come in."_

"_Hi." A short blonde girl said entering, "I'm Lindsay."_

"_Hi, Lindsay, I'm Lucas Scott."_

"_I know. Look can I just say before we start, what a huge fan I am?" She pointed to her hair, "I even went out and got "_The Peyton_" like every other girl whose read your book. Oh god you probably think I'm a dork."_

_Lucas grinned, "Not at all, but my Peyton had curly hair." He added._

_Lindsay nodded, and glanced at his hand, "Oh so you made her Mrs. Scott after all?"_

_Lucas chuckled and shook his head, "No. Actually Brooke Davis-"_

"_The girl who was gonna change the world? The one who didn't even know it?" Lucas nodded, "Did she?"_

"_She changed mine." He said and held up the family photo, "Tyler, the baby is barely a year old, Keith is seven, and Penelope is six."_

"_They're beautiful." Lindsay said, "And so is your wife."_

_The next day Lindsay came to work with dark brown hair._

* * *

"_Brooke I don't want to fight anymore!" Lucas said angrily, "And I especially don't want to fight at my office."_

"_Lucas we have to talk sometimes okay?" she said, "I can't leave every morning, come home in the afternoon in time for you to come here, only to slip into bed past midnight, get up and do it all over again the next day. We're _married_ for god sakes! It shouldn't be like this."_

"_How would you prefer we go about this? We both have to work."_

"_I know we both work, Lucas, but the kids barely see either of us. You always have book deadlines and I always have designers breathing down my neck."_

"_Excuse me, Lucas?" Lindsay said opening his door, "Oh hey Mrs. Scott."_

_Brooke forced a smile, and said, "Hi Lindsay." Lindsay was wearing an outfit that would have made seventeen year old Brooke blush._

"_What do you need Linds?"_

"_It can wait." She smiled, "Are you going to be much longer?" she added to Brooke._

_Brooke looked over at Lucas and shook her head, "You know what I'm done. I gotta pick up Keith from soccer anyway."_

"_Brooke." He sighed._

_She turned around and asked, "What?"_

"_I love you." He said like it was a chore._

_She shrugged, "I love you too, Luke. See you tonight."_

_He nodded and she walked out the door passed Lindsay who called, "Bye Mrs. Scott."_

* * *

"_Time to celebrate?" Lindsay asked from her spot on Luke's desk as he hit the _enter_key._

_He nodded, "I'm done Linds! I finished it." He sat back a bit shell shocked. He just finished his second novel._

"_Yes!" she cheered, reaching to hug him, "Lucas? I have something important I need to tell you."_

"_What?" he asked still staring at the screen._

_Lindsay leaned down and kissed him._

* * *

"_Lindsay?" Brooke called, looking for the brunette who called her an hour earlier asking her to bring the kids down to Luke's office, "Keith don't eat the dirt! Pen hold your brothers hand." She added opening Luke's door, "Lucas, have you seen- oh my God!" Brooke exclaimed._

"_Brooke!" Lucas said untangling Lindsay's arms from his neck._

"_Stay away from me!" she said grabbing Penelope's hand and telling Keith to get back on the elevator._

"_Brooke, please-"_

"_I cannot believe this Lucas! Again!" she said holding back her tears, "I guess I should be glad she's not Peyton right?"_

"_Brooke I didn't-"_

"_Don't you dare lie to me." She said, walking into the elevator, "You better be grateful that Keith was eating dirt and Penelope was twirling around on her toes," she added in a harsh whisper before the elevator door closed, "They won't ever have to have the visual of their father and another woman like I do."_

* * *

"_Haley he did it again." Lucas could hear Brooke cry into the phone when he walked in the door, "No, it wasn't Peyton. It was Lindsay, the office tramp I told you about. I know he doesn't really work in an office- Haley! She's a tramp!"_

"_Brooke." He said softly._

"_Haley, I have to go. _He's_here. Okay I will. Bye." Brooke hung up the phone and got up to walk to him. Lucas misread the gesture and opened his arms to hug her, but instead of hugging him, she slapped him across the face, "_That_ was from Haley." She slapped him again, "And _ that_ was from me."_

"_Brooke please, let me explain!" Lucas said holding his cheek, "It wasn't what you think."_

"_What she tripped and you caught her with your lips?"_

"_Brooke,_she_kissed me. I was pushing her away when you came in. I have no idea why she was kissing me. I've never given her any indication that I want to be kissed by her."_

"_I know the feeling." Brooke muttered._

"_What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded._

"_Nothing, just that you've been so emotionally distant that I believed you were having an affair. God, Lucas I had absolutely no problem believing you were cheating on me. How horrible is that?" she asked crying._

" _Well it's not like… what I mean is…" Lucas trailed off but she knew what he meant._

"_You've given me reason." Was all she said, "Lucas we can't keep doing this."_

"_Doing what?" he asked._

"_This. This stupid game of who is to blame. Maybe we just- God maybe we just don't work together anymore."_

"_Maybe we never did?" _

"_We have-" her voice caught in her throat, "We have three beautiful kids together, maybe that's it for us." He nodded._

"_I guess- uh- I guess I'll get a bag of my stuff, and get out of here?" Brooke turned her back to cry, "I'm sorry Brooke. But hey, we tried right?" Brooke walked into the kitchen and Lucas heard her sob louder._

* * *

"Hey we tried right?" Jenny asked wiping some tears, "That's it?" Lucas nodded, "What's wrong with you?"

"Jenny-"

"No, don't _Jenny_ me." She started walking back towards the house Lucas following, "I'm so sick of all of you." Nathan heard her enter from his spot on the couch, "God you have love and you just throw it away. You don't even try!" she yelled at him and ran for Jamie's room.

Nathan threw Lucas a questioning glance, he shrugged, "Kids?" Nathan nodded but he couldn't help thinking about what Jenny had just said, as he walked to his and Haley's room.

He paused as he spotted something on the dresser. Something he hadn't seen in a while. He pocketed it and left. Keith stepped out of Haley's closet and grinned.

* * *

"Come on Jamie keep up!" Peyton called from the bottom of the hill.

"I'm Haley's son, and-" Jamie trailed off not having an excuse to back up his fear of big hills.

"Come on! You'll be fine!" she laughed.

"Ahh!" He yelled flying down the hill straight towards his aunt, "Jeez! That's- that's- that's fun." He admitted.

Peyton nodded, "So what did you want to talk about sweetie?" she added sitting down on her sled to take a breather.

"Uncle Jake told me about how you guys got back together." Jamie said, "You know about Jenny seeing you and-"

Peyton interrupted, "I remember."

"Yeah well I was just wondering, was everything all good and stuff right away? Or was it like when my mom left to go on tour and then came back for dad. But he wasn't really happy right away."

"Oh… well it was good pretty much from the start. I stayed at his house in Tree Hill for a little while. Then he proposed to me… and well you know the rest bud, we got married."

"Yeah, but was it hard? Like things were for my parents?"

Peyton smiled and shook her head, "No, but things were never hard for me and Jake. Sometimes a little complicated, but when we were together… well nothing else mattered."

"You mean when you guys _are_ together?" Jamie corrected with a grin, "Right Aunt Peyton?"

Peyton nodded, "Come on kid. I see a hill with our name on it."

* * *

"Thanks for dinner Aunt Haley." Keith said, as the whole group finished eating.

"You're welcome, hon." Haley said getting up to collect plates.

Jenny nodded to Penelope who suddenly grabbed her stomach and moaned in agaony, "Mommy, daddy, I don't feel good."

"What's the matter baby?" Brooke asked putting a hand to her forehead.

"My stomach hurts."

"You don't feel warm, baby girl." Lucas said picking her up.

"Maybe she should lie down." Jamie suggested, while Keith and Jenny nodded.

"Come on Bear." Brooke said, "You can sleep in mommy's room."

"Peyton, can you put Tyler to bed for me?" Lucas asked.

"Sure, I'll do it when I put Ellie down. Go take care of Pen." Peyton nodded.

* * *

So many signs all day had been pointing Nathan in this direction. First Keith, then what Jenny said, then finding _it_. He turned to Haley sitting by herself drinking coco in the den. Jake and Peyton were putting the smaller children down, Brooke and Lucas were still with Penelope in Brooke's room, and the older kids were off somewhere.

Nathan reached down and pushed play on one of Haley's favorite Christmas songs.

"Oh hey." She said looking up.

"Hi." He said.

"Nathan." Haley laughed, as he swept his wife up for a dance.

Keith high fived Jamie and Jenny from their spot on the top of the stairs.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love dancing with you?" he asked.

Haley paused, and shook her head, "No I don't think you have."

"Haley James Scott, I love dancing with you." he said making her laugh, "I love you Hales. I know I don't say it enough but I do. I really do."

"Nathan I love you too." Haley said concerned, "What is this about?"

He shook his head, "Just something Keith said today. And then Jenny later today. Hales you mean so much to me. We've been through too much to just give up."

"I hardly think going to marriage counseling is giving up, Nathan."

"But we did Hales. We just gave up. We go to Dr. Grossman's and complain about each other and never get results. He tells us to do things and we completely ignore him."

"I know." Haley admitted, "But what else were we supposed to do Nathan. When your marriage is in trouble you go see a counselor."

"Yeah, but you also try harder. We didn't try at all Haley." he said taking her hand in his, he slid the plastic bracelet on her wrist, "The Cracker Jack company foretold out love Hales. We owe it to them." he joked.

Haley laughed and cried at the same time, "Where did you find it?"

"What?" he asked wiping her tears.

"My bracelet. I lost it so long ago." she said.

"It was on the dresser." Nathan said shrugging.

"I love you." Haley said throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him.

Jenny looked up at Keith and mouthed, "You?" He nodded and whispered, "It was in Andy's costume jewelry box. I recognized it from a picture of our mom's."

Jamie hadn't said a word he was just staring at his parents. This was the first time in over a year his parents had actually really kissed. No obligatory anniversary, holiday, or birthday reasons. True it had been his idea but to be perfectly honest he'd never really thought his parents could reconcile their differences.

Jenny slugged him in the arm, "One down."

"Two to go." Jamie said getting up.

"And only three more days to get it done." Keith said.

* * *

Okay so? One couple down! Yay! Right? I hope…Please tell me you like this guys, I worked so hard on Nathan and Haley. In a lot of ways they were the hardest for me to put back together because they weren't apart to begin with, but in a way they were. I liked what I came up with so I hope you guys did too.

Please review. Preferably with praise.

-Em


	10. Chapter 10

"Dad, don't leave okay?" Penelope asked as she was falling asleep in between him and Brooke, "Stay with us all night."

"Okay Pen. Go to sleep." He said kissing her cheek.

"Good night, mama." She yawned.

"Night baby."

Lucas and Brooke hadn't said a word to one another since they brought Penelope to Brooke's room.

"So." Lucas said softly once she was sleeping.

"Yeah." Brooke replied.

"We should probably talk… about what happened."

"Do we really have to Lucas?"

"Brooke," he started, "I was talking to Jenny today, and she asked me about when we broke up."

"That was a long time ago Luke." She said getting up.

"No, but I said- well back then I said the wrong thing."

"Lucas!" she interrupted, "It's done okay. Did it ever occur to you that the reason I don't talk about it is because it hurts? Because it is too damn hard Lucas. To think about how we were, especially how we separated. I can't do it okay?" she walked out of the room and down the hall.

Brooke passed Nathan and Haley making out on the couch and smiled. She then shook her head and went to Peyton and Jake's room.

"P. Sawyer-Jagelski?" she called knocking on the door.

"What's wrong, B. Davis-Scott?" Peyton asked opening the door to her best friend.

Brooke shook her head, "Do you wanna go for a walk?"

"On the pier?" Peyton asked one eyebrow raised.

"You don't mind? Even though it's like nine o'clock?"

"Brooke when we were fifteen you came to my door at two in the morning for a walk. We may be older but I think I can handle nine o'clock."

* * *

"Where are your mom's going?" Jamie asked looking out his window.

Jenny ran over to look, "I don't know. Should we follow?"

Keith shook his head, "Nah, they'd get mad if they caught us."

"True." Jamie said.

"Mom and dad aren't kissing on the couch anymore." Andrea said entering Jamie's room.

"Where are they?" Jamie asked.

"They went to go to sleep. Mom even closed the door so they must be tired." Keith and Jamie nodded, while Jenny, being the only one who actually knew about sex chocked back a laugh.

* * *

"Where are Nathan and Haley?" Jake asked the next morning around the breakfast table.

Penelope had made a _miraculous_recovery when the kid's realized it wasn't working. Brooke and Peyton hadn't gotten back from their walk until past midnight when everyone else was already sleeping. Lucas had left Brooke's room before she woke in the morning. Jake and Peyton were more or less, to Jenny's dismay, the same. Pretending to be a happily married couple.

"Still in bed." Jenny replied.

"Looks like Tutor Girl and Boy Toy got lucky last night." Brooke said to her friends then added to the kids, "Cause they got a good nights sleep."

"Sure they did, Aunt Brooke." Jenny laughed.

"You shush." Peyton said holding in a chuckle.

"Hey uh Brooke," Lucas whispered in her ear, "Can we talk?"

Brooke froze momentarily, "Not right now, Luke. I have to wrap some last minute presents. Tomorrow's Christmas Eve."

"Brooke-"

"Not now." She said firmly, and loud enough for Jenny, Jamie, and Keith to hear.

Jenny sighed, "We seriously have our work cut out."

"We're gonna go build a snowman in the yard." Keith said, grabbing his sister's hand, and motioning for the other four to follow.

"Jenny take your sister." Peyton said.

"And Pen, honey are you sure you want to go out? You're just getting over whatever it was last night."

"I'm fine mommy." Penelope said before disappearing up the stairs to get her clothes.

"A whole afternoon to ourselves." Peyton said to Brooke.

"The two of you spent three hours together last night." Lucas pointed out. He really wanted to talk to Brooke

"Okay fine, Green-eyed Monster." Peyton said grabbing his arm, "Let's go talk."

"You wanna help me wrap the rest of my stuff Davis?" Jake asked as Peyton and Lucas disappeared in the same fashion as the kids had.

"By help do you mean do it for you?" she asked.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Then yes! I love wrapping presents."

"Good. Cause I hate it."

* * *

"So Peyt," Lucas started, "How are you?"

She gave him a weird look, "Fine Luke. But I've told you since we were 16, stop calling me Peyt."

"I know, but it's fun how much it bugs you."

Peyton shook her head, "What did I ever see in you?"

"I've got those soulful eyes." He said seriously, which made her laugh.

"Anyway, Luke, I didn't bring you up here to talk." Peyton said.

"Peyton, we're not in high school anymore. Just cause Brooke and I are divorced-"

"Lucas, for god sakes." She interrupted, pulling out Jake's guitar, " I wanted your opinion on Jake's present."

"Oh."

"I'm a married woman." She said rolling her eyes, and Lucas pretended not knowing Jake and Peyton were separated.

"Sorry."

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Haley asked walking into the kitchen.

"I don't know and I really don't care." Nathan said wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

"Nathan," Haley giggled, "What about our children? They could be lying in a ditch somewhere for all we know."

"We can make new ones."

* * *

"So Jakey, what did you get Jen? God she is so grown-up." Brooke prattled on as she wrapped a Barbie dream house for Ellie, "It's so hard to believe she was once this little girl." Brooke added pulling her wallet out of her purse and showing Jake the Polaroid of Peyton, Brooke, and little baby Jenny from twelve years earlier.

"I know." Jake said, "Wow, this picture is ancient. What else do you have in here?" he added flipping through the photo part of her wallet.

"Just the kids mostly, and you guys."

"And Lucas." Jake added with a grin as he landed on a picture of Lucas from his and Brooke's wedding day, "What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing. We're divorced. He's the father of my children and I still care about him."

"Uh huh." He said.

"Jake." Brooke said, "Look nothing can happen with me and Lucas again. God, you and Peyton are so lucky you have each other. I was always routing for you ya know?"

"Yeah. Togetherness is great." Jake said quickly, "So what did you get the kids for Christmas?" he asked changing the subject.

* * *

"Okay so my parents are unbelievably stubborn, even more so than Brooke and Lucas." Jenny said.

"Jenny, chill, for a second." Keith said, "We got Nathan and Haley back together, just enjoy that victory for a minute before you rush into more plans."

"Mom and dad were arguing last night." Penelope said.

"Yeah, but that's like foreplay for them." A voice said standing above them.

"Mom!"

"Aunt Haley!"

"What's foreplay?" Andrea asked.

"Not important. What is important is that you five tell me what's going on right now. And what is Elizabeth doing?"

"Making a snow fort." Jenny said like it wasn't important.

"Right." Haley nodded, "Now explanations anyone?"

"We were- well I mean… " Keith started but kept trailing off.

"We're trying to get Brooke and Lucas and Jake and Peyton back together." Jamie said.

"You guys," Haley sighed, folding her arms, "you're just kids what makes you think you can put them back together?"

"We fixed you and dad." Jamie said.

"What?" she asked surprised, "Jake and Peyton aren't together anymore?" she added after a minute.

"No, Aunt Haley, they love each other. But like you and Uncle Nathan they just seem to have let their problems get in the way of that."

"You- you kids… I've been paying a marriage counselor a hundred bucks an hour when all I had to do was consult my own children?" she asked, more to herself than them, but Jamie piped up anyway.

"Yep. Now come on mom. These are your best friends who are ready to give up and throw it all away. We can't let them do that right?"

Haley thought about it for a minute before nodding, "Right. But don't tell your dad, cause he has a big mouth."

"Deal." The kids said.

* * *

"You know, you guys, Nathan and I can take care of the littler kids tonight." Haley said conversationally over dinner, "I feel like I haven't spent enough time with Ellie or Tyler, and I am god mother to them both."

"Co-god mother to Ellie." Brooke coughed.

"Keith is also your god-son." Lucas pointed out.

"Keith and I have spent plenty of time together. Right Keith?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Keith nodded.

"So you want to watch our most attention needing kids tonight?" Lucas asked looking for the catch.

Haley nodded, while Nathan interjected, "Wait we're doing what?"

"Too late!" Brooke said, "Haley offered, ha!"

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing while you guys watch our kids?" Jake asked, being the only one to see the other side of this.

"Sleep." Brooke said happily.

"Whatever you want. Consider this part of your Christmas presents." Haley said.

"But you still got us like a real gift right?" Peyton asked.

"Yes, now all of you out of my sight." Haley said getting tired.

The four adults got up while Keith whispered, "Nice one Aunt Haley."

"Nathan clear the table." Haley said getting up to pick up Tyler.

"So far you're tied with the progress that Jamie and I have made and you've only been part of the team for a few hours." Jenny said.

"Should've come to me sooner." Haley grinned.

* * *

Brooke was reading a magazine on her bed when she heard a knock on the door, "No take backs Hales, I don't care how much of your hair he's pulled out."

"It's not Haley." Lucas said, opening the door.

"Lucas. What do you want?" she asked a lot harsher than she intended.

"I don't want anything Brooke. I _need_ to talk to you."

"What about?" she asked tiredly, "If this is about the other night-"

"It's not. Well only partly. Look I talked to Jenny yesterday and well she wanted to know about when we broke up-"

"Lucas!" she said angrily, "I already said I didn't want to talk about that."

"But we need to!" he insisted.

"Why? God why do we need to talk about it Lucas? We broke up! We're not married anymore, remember?"

"Of course I remember! That's why we need to talk."

"Did you ever love me?" she said it so quickly that he wasn't sure he'd heard her right. But when he looked up at her with her hands clasped over her mouth he knew he had.

"Brooke." he started softly.

"Mama!" Tyler called from down the hall.

"I gotta go." she said wiping her eyes, though they both heard Haley call back, "I got him."

"He's fine, Brooke, just talk to me."

She pulled her blanket tighter around herself, "I can't Luke."

"No, Brooke." he said grabbing both her shoulders, "I- I still tell Penelope the story of how we met before she goes to sleep. When Keith looks through our yearbook and asks me about high school, I tell him how happy you made me those years. How stupid I was to screw it up- I said then, but I meant now. Brooke," Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she shook her head, "Yes, when I put Tyler to bed at night- the nights he's with me- he calls for you and I tell him I know I miss her too. When I'm upset about Dan, you're the only one who can make me feel better. No, not just about Dan, about everything. Brooke, I love you. I have loved you since I was sixteen. Please just-"

Brooke threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down on her own.

* * *

"That wasn't a mistake." Brooke said burying her smiling face in the crook of his neck.

* * *

Please review. Okay there was Brooke and Lucas; they were kind of the easiest to piece back together I guess. Cause their split was over Brooke thinking Lucas didn't really love her. That's why she so easily believed he'd cheat on her again, and well I hope you guys liked it.

One more left. Let's hope the kids and now Haley (What did you guys think about that? I just had Haley help them on a whim. I wasn't sure if I would even keep it in while writing it but I kind of liked it) can fix Jake and Peyton.

-Em


	11. Chapter 11

No one was up early on Christmas Eve. Except Jake and Peyton. They had gotten up at their normal hour, after going to bed at a regular time. They ate breakfast and waited in silence for someone to come down.

"Wow, they sure can sleep." Peyton said softly.

"Yeah." Jake said smiling.

"Jake, can we tal-" she started but stopped when she heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Good morning!" Brooke announced happily with Tyler in her arms, and holding Ellie's hand.

"Morning to you too or should I say afternoon? And happy Christmas Eve." Peyton said picking up her daughter.

"You too, P. Sawyer-Jagelski, and Jakey."

"How'd you sleep?" Jake asked.

"I didn't." she whispered happily.

"What?" Peyton asked with a grin, "Again?"

Brooke shrugged, "A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

"Brooke, you and I both know that you are not a lady." Peyton said.

Brooke glared at her as Jenny and the boys entered the kitchen, "God you three are always together? Did you get in the glue again Keith?" she joked.

"Ma, I was seven when that happened."

"I know, you were a very bad seven year old."

"Love you too." He said.

"Merry Christmas Eve baby." She said.

* * *

Throughout the day it was obvious to everyone that Brooke and Lucas were back together. Though they hadn't officially said anything, Jenny had walked in on them kissing in the kitchen when it was empty, and she ran for Haley to tell her it had worked. Every now and then Lucas and Brooke would grin at one another and Jenny, Jamie, and Keith would have to start high fiving all over again.

Like every Christmas Eve this one went by too fast for their liking, considering they still had Jake and Peyton to get back together and Haley was too busy prepping for Christmas day to help.

Jenny had decided they shouldn't try anything else until Christmas day itself, so they could come up with something good. And not just get lucky like they had with throwing Brooke and Lucas in a room together.

"Get to bed," Brooke said after kissing Penelope's cheek, "Santa's gonna be here soon."

"Merry Christmas mommy." She said before walking upstairs with Andy.

"Merry Christmas you guys." Haley called, "So, how much longer till we send you three packing?"

"Aw just a little longer, Aunt Hales." Keith said pleading.

Haley knew he was still happy about his parents so she nodded, "Just a little bit longer than."

"Thanks." Jenny said sitting on the floor in front of the fire next to Lucas.

Brooke and Peyton were sitting on the couch munching on popcorn, while Haley and Nathan sat in one of the overstuffed love chairs, and Jake said in another chair staring into the fire. Keith and Jamie meanwhile were laying on the floor in front of the couch playing war.

"You know, I kind of have something to confess." Haley said.

The boys put down their cards and everyone directed their attention to Haley.

"Well, Nathan and I invited you all here this year as a way to hide something from the kids." She admitted, "Nathan and I were considering separating but, the kids- they figured it out and- they helped pick up the pieces of our marriage." She smiled at Jenny, Keith, and Jamie.

"What?" Nathan asked, having been left out of the loop.

Haley laughed and kissed her husband, who shrugged and high fived his son.

"Lucas and I are giving it another go." Brooke said.

"No duh, sweetie." Haley laughed.

"Yeah, well it was all thanks to my soulful eyes." Lucas said, to which the rest of them burst out laughing, "They are soulful." he added annoyed.

"Of course they are baby." Brooke said kissing him.

"Let's get married." he said.

"Lucas!" Brooke said, "We just got back together. Don't you think we should wait and make sure this is going to work out first?"

"Have you ever before?" Peyton asked.

Brooke paused, "Good point, but no. Not till we're sure."

Lucas grinned and turned to Keith, "Me and your mom are getting re-married. Wanna be my best man?" Brooke sighed and mumbled 'This is never going to work if you don't listen.' But Lucas just reached over and held her hand in his, and nodded, "We'll be fine Pretty Girl."

"It's only fair. We did all the work." Keith said nodding.

"Hey, we did some." Brooke said.

"Please all you guys did was moan about how you didn't really care about each other." Jenny joked, "While really secretly being in love." Everyone laughed.

"Jake and I are separating." Peyton announced, interrupting the fun.

"What?" Nathan and Brooke asked, being the only two people left in the room who didn't know.

"No." Jenny said softly, "Not yet, we have plans."

"Why?" Brooke asked, putting an arm around Peyton.

Peyton and Jake avoiding looking in one another's direction while Peyton shrugged, "You know, just uh just a bunch of little stuff, combined together make bigger things."

Jake nodded, "It just got to a point."

"Yeah, a point when the two of you had a choice, "Work on it- or just call it quits." Jenny said angrily.

"Jen." Haley said, moving to sit next to Peyton on the couch.

"No, Aunt Haley, this isn't a poor Jake and Peyton moment. I can't believe you two. When I was little you used to tell me to never give up. Ever hear of practicing what you preach? I mean a bunch of little things? That's what we get? Really mom? You and dad just fell out of love because of a bunch of little things?" Jenny demanded.

"Jenny that isn't your business." Jake said.

"I'm your daughter! If it's not my business then I'd like to know whose business it is dad?"

"That's not what he means hon." Peyton said.

"You are both still in love with each other, you're just too damn stubborn to admit it." She said in a disgusted tone, when neither contradicted her, they just stared at their shoes she added, "See?"

"Jenny it's not that easy." Peyton said.

"Then make it simple, mom. Explain to me how two people whose love lasted what five years apart and then seven- eight- years together can just wake up one morning wanting a divorce."

"We're not getting divorced." Jake interrupted.

"Oh so your plan is to be separated for the rest of your life. Great idea dad." She said sarcastically.

"Jennifer Lynn Jagelski, don't talk to your father like that." Peyton said.

"_You're_ both acting like children." She said angrily, "And _I'm_ the one getting scolded."

"Nice use of the word scolded." Brooke commented softly nodding in appreciation, when both Jake and Peyton turned to glare at her she shut up.

"It's Christmas Eve!" Jenny said loudly, "You used to tell me Christmas Eve was magical, remember mom?"

Peyton nodded, "I remember honey, but-"

"No! No buts anymore! I don't care about the stupid car, all I want is you two happy. You love each other! Okay if you love each other no amount of _little things_ can ruin that."

"Jennifer." Jake said.

"No, no. Dad," Jenny said desperately, "Dad look," she pointed to Peyton, "It's the lady from my dreams. Look there she is."

Peyton started crying almost as hard as Jenny was, "Jenny," she started, "You can't- you can't fix this baby."

"There she is." Jenny said louder the tears flowing harder now. Jamie and Keith tried to comfort her but she pushed them away, "No! Dad the woman from my dreams, she's right there."

Jake said nothing as Peyton broke down on the couch next to Haley and Brooke who hugged her.

"Dad please." Jenny begged, "You're going to loose her. The woman that you love. But she is right here, right now. Remember what you told me three years ago? It was Christmas Eve and Ellie was only-" she coughed through her tears, "El was only two. She and mom had fallen asleep on the couch after you read Twas the night before Christmas, and you had mom leaning on your shoulder with Ellie sleeping- sleeping in her arms and you looked at me- you looked down and said that you have no regrets in your life. That you are so happy. If you don't do something now then you're going to regret it. So dad," She pointed to Peyton again, "Look it's the lady from my dreams."

No one said anything for a few moments. All that could be heard was Jenny's sobs and Peyton's soft cries, finally Jake spoke softly, his voice thick with tears, "That's the lady from my dreams too." Peyton looked up from Brooke's arms, and Jenny stopped coughing.

Jake and Peyton looked into one another's eyes for about a minute before Jake opened his arms, Peyton jumped off the couch and all but leapt into them, crying almost as hysterically as Jenny had been.

Jenny couldn't even form words, as she sunk down onto the floor, Lucas at her side, "You did good kid." he whispered hugging the small girl.

"I- I-" Jenny was shaking her head and crying with happiness now.

Peyton and Jake had fallen onto one of Haley's oversized love seats, Peyton still crying and hugging him for all she's worth and Jake called, "Come here baby girl."

Jenny didn't need to be told twice as she went into her parent's embrace.

Brooke glanced at the clock, and grinned, "Merry Christmas."

* * *

Okay well I'm really happy with the way I reunited Jake and Peyton, but that's all I like about this chapter. I hope you guys like it better than I do.

There's only one chapter left, so please review, even if you hate the beginning as much as I do lol.

You'll see a little more about the couples actual reconciliation as a family. Not much cause it's only one chapter but… well okay just review and find out.

-Em


	12. Chapter 12

"Do you like it?" Brooke asked as Jenny opened a dress Brooke had designed.

Jenny was only half paying attention to the gifts she was unwrapping, she'd been staring at her parents since she got down stairs. Jake and Peyton weren't doing anything unusual. They were just sitting on the couch, Peyton had her head on his shoulder and he had his arms wrapped around her. But the reason Jenny was staring at them was because they were smiling, and oh how she'd missed her parents genuine happiness, "It's great Aunt Brooke." She mumbled.

"You've barely looked at it- Ah Lucas!" Brooke squealed as Lucas practically tackled her kissing her neck, and cheeks, and hair before finally landing on her lips, "What?" she asked laughing.

"Thank you." He said holding up his new computer, "You are the most perfect woman I have ever laid-"

"Lucas!" Brooke exclaimed looking around embarrassed.

"-my eyes on." He finished, laughing.

"Oh." She said even more embarrassed than before.

"Haley got me a basketball hoop!" Nathan yelled.

"God he's like a kid on Christmas morning." Haley said shaking her head.

"Honey, he's not _like_ a kid on Christmas morning. He _is_a kid on Christmas morning." Peyton corrected.

"I have got the greatest wife." Nathan said coming inside, "Not only did she get me the hoop, she also got this awesome sweater." He added pointing to his new green sweater he was wearing.

Peyton and Brooke laughed, while Haley shrugged and whispered, "Well I didn't want it to go to waste."

"Dude!" Jamie said unwrapping his new basketball, "Awesome."

"Dude." Keith said, unwrapping a matching ball.

"Make that a triple dude." Jenny said, though not as enthused as the boys, as she unwrapped her own new basketball.

"You bought her a basketball?" Peyton asked, shaking her head at Jake.

"What? It's a great present." Jake said, Nathan and Lucas nodded in agreement.

"I helped you wrap that. How did I not notice you bought her a basketball?" Brooke asked.

"Come on kids," Nathan said, "It's time to start a new tradition, Scott-Jagelski Christmas basketball game."

"That means we'll have to come here every year." Jenny pointed out.

"Yeah well, someone's gonna have to keep an eye on us six." Nathan said, patting Jenny's shoulder.

"Deal." She said.

"Come on Jake, you gotta help teach your daughter the fundamentals of this game, if we want the kids to have a chance at beating us state Champions." Lucas said.

"I'm so gonna beat you guys." Jenny said sticking her tongue out at Lucas.

* * *

"Forty- two to ten! Suck it!"

"Stop rubbing it in." Lucas sighed a hand on his sore back.

"I'm just saying you lost to a bunch of little kids. The same little kids that are probably already exhausted from spending the week putting your marriage back together."

"Yeah, we know." Lucas said rolling his eyes.

"The State Champs couldn't even-"

"Brooke, how long is this going to go on for?" he interrupted.

"A little bit longer." She said.

"Or maybe your done?" he asked leaning in to kiss her.

"Maybe I'm done." She nodded, and then laughed, "Ten. Okay now I'm done."

"Good." Lucas said.

"Dinner will be ready in a couple hours guys." Haley said, handing Lucas, Nathan, and Jake each an ice pack. They each applied the ice to different spots.

"So not teenagers anymore?" Jenny asked innocently before she, Keith, and Jamie burst out laughing.

"Hey, you can walk home." Jake said pointing to his daughter.

Peyton shook her head, "No you won't."

"Hey, uh Keith don't go too far, bud. We might be going somewhere, before dinner." Lucas said.

Keith shrugged and followed Jenny and Jamie out of the kitchen while Brooke asked, "Where are you going?"

Lucas gestured for her to follow him into the living room, "I uh… I need to do something today. You kinda made me realize I've needed to do this for a while, but I can't do it without you."

"Okay." She nodded, "Anything."

"I love you." He said making her smile, "Hey, why are you crying?"

"I just missed hearing that." She said as he wiped her tears away, "I need to hear it sometimes ya know?"

"I'll never stop saying it Brooke. I never did." He admitted, "You just never heard me."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Keith asked.

Lucas nodded, "As long as you stay with me."

"We're not going anywhere." Brooke said, reaching for his hand with her free one.

Lucas pushed the door open and walked into the big gray room.

"When they said my son was here to see me… I thought they meant Nathan."

Lucas shook his head, and lead Penelope in behind him, "Hi."

Dan nodded to him, "Lucas. Hi Brooke."

"Mr. Scott." Brooke said softly, she waited to see if Lucas was going to say something but when he remained silent she started, "This is Tyler and Penelope, and you met Keith."

"Hi kids, I'm Dan."

"He's your…" Lucas started, "He's your grandpa."

Dan half smiled, and Penelope being Brooke's daughter started talking a mile a minute telling Dan all about the presents she'd unwrapped.

"-And this is a scarf my mom designed at her company. She works at Clothes over Bros. But she's back with my dad, so she's not really over bros so…" Penelope trailed off in thought.

"You're back together? Congratulations." Dan said, to Brooke. Lucas was staring at his shoes.

Brooke nodded, "Thank you Mr. Scott. We uh… we brought you a coffee cake but they well the guards took it."

Keith had remained silent since they walked in, he was just watching his father wrestle with his thoughts. Finally Keith stood, first he put a hand on his father's shoulder then he walked over to Dan, "It's really hard for my dad to say but not me. I think you've been waiting to hear it for all these years. That's why you were scared when you saw me." Dan, Brooke, and Lucas stared at him confused, "I forgive you Dan. Merry Christmas."

Dan tried to say something but he couldn't, all he could see was his younger brother looking up at him, "Th- thank you." Was all he got out before he broke down crying, "Merry Christmas Keith."

Lucas blinked back his own tears and said, "I forgive you too… dad." Then he looked to his son and hugged him, "I love you."

"I know." Keith said.

* * *

"This is it right?" Peyton asked Jake when they were alone in their room. He nodded and whispered, "I love you Peyton." Into her skin as he kissed her, "Good. Cause this is where I want to be, Jake. I love you so much. Too much to screw it up again."

"Peyton, I think that as long as we have Jenny there's no way we'll be able to split up without a fight. Pretty soon Ellie will be old enough, and she'll be on Team Jake/Peyton." He said.

"Too long a name hon." Peyton laughed.

"Fine Team… Pake."

Peyton laughed again, "How bout Jeyton?"

"See this is why I married you."

"What for my abilities to compress names together?"

"No,_this_ is why I married you." He said gesturing to the bed.

"Jake." She laughed.

* * *

"Hey so are you going to open your present yet?" Nathan asked Haley as she skinned some potatoes.

"Nathan I'm a little busy." She laughed.

"Please?" he asked, "I got you something really good this year."

"You've been giving me great gifts since we were sixteen." She said holding up her wrist with the bracelet on it.

"Please?" he asked again.

"Okay, okay." She said rinsing off her hands.

"Here." He said handing her a box.

"Oh Nathan," Haley said unwrapping a new ring, "It's beautiful."

"Read the inscription." He said.

"There's a bunch of dates, and our initials." She said looking up at him.

"The first date is the first day you tutored me," he tugged lightly on the bracelet, " the second date is our first wedding, the third one is our second wedding, and that's Jamie's birthday, and that's Andy's. There's uh… there's room for more… if we uh…" he trailed off.

"Oh Nathan." She said her eyes welling up with tears, "This is the most thoughtful gift anyone's ever given me. It's like a timeline of our relationship." She grabbed him and kissed him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

After Christmas dinner all the adults sat the kids down in the living room.

"Okay kids, as you know the six of us have uh…-" Lucas trailed off searching for the right words.

"Come to your senses?" Jenny supplied.

"Gotten over yourselves?" Jamie suggested.

"Oh!" Keith said, "Finally realized your kids know more than you."

"Ha ha." Brooke said sarcastically.

"Fine." Haley said, "You get the picture."

"Look besides the thank yous that you're all getting-"

"Like a used car from Uncle Al's Car Barn in three years." Jenny said.

"You're not getting a used car cause you didn't keep the secret." Jake said.

Jenny went to defend herself, when Peyton interrupted, "Yeah, you're getting a brand new one from an actual dealership."

Jenny let out a squeal of excitement while Jake looked at his wife, "What?"

"She put our marriage back together."

"We would've figured it out… eventually."

"Yeah, when you turned fifty." Jenny said.

"Alright," Nathan said, before Jake said anything else, "Can we get back on topic please?"

"Sure." Keith said.

"It's not going to be as easy as you three- sorry five-" Brooke said when Penelope and Andy cleared their throats, Haley then looked pointedly at Brooke, "six. It's not going to be as easy as you _six_assume okay?"

"It's gonna be hard." Lucas said.

"We didn't all just wake up and decided we should get back together." Brooke said, "A lot of thought went into it, and we've all talked about it…"

"You gave more thought into getting back together than you did breaking up in the first place. Do you know how much time and money you could have saved if you all jut talked out your problems in the first place?" Jamie asked.

"And is the point of this talk to let us know that you're not going to rush into anything? Cause Aunt Brooke, you and Uncle Lucas agreed to get re-married last night, about twenty-four hours after you guys got back together." Jenny pointed out.

"That's not fast for Brooke and Lucas." Nathan said, and Brooke swatted at him, "Actually I'm more surprised Lucas didn't ask her sooner." Lucas glared at his brother.

"The point is," Jake started again, "we're not going to just give up like we did before." He glanced over at Peyton.

"Well no duh." Keith said.

"If you guys ever try something like this again," Jenny started deathly serious, "that'll just mean, we'll have to do this again.

"And no one wants a sequel, this was hard enough." Jamie said.

The six parents were speechless as the kids got up, and left the room.

* * *

Christmas day had come and gone and before they knew it, it was time to leave. Brooke, Haley, and Peyton were tearing up. Lucas, Jake, and Nathan were loading up the two cars with the accumulated presents.

"Thank you." Brooke said hugging Haley, "You fixed my marriage."

"No, that was our kids, sweetie." Peyton said.

"They fixed all of us." Haley nodded, looking at the seven of them. Andy and Pen were still playing Barbie's, Jamie, Keith, and Jenny were playing cards and Ellie and Tyler were coloring.

Brooke wiped her eyes, and Lucas wrapped his arms around her, "Alright kids, it's time to go."

"Mommy do we have to?" Penelope cried.

"Aunt Brooke don't leave yet." Andy said.

"We have to head out too kids." Jake said, leaning against Peyton with his chin on her shoulder.

"But dad." Jenny said.

"It's not like we'll never see each other again, guys." Nathan said as both Ellie and Tyler attached themselves to his leg. "Rematch next year." He added to Jenny, Keith, and Jamie.

"Yeah, and Brooke'll be popping out another one in what nine months? We can all get together then." Peyton teased.

Brooke glared at her, while Jake, Peyton, Haley, Nathan, and Lucas laughed, "Popping out what Aunt Brooke?" Ellie asked.

"Nothing hon." Peyton said.

Brooke shrugged to Lucas, "She's probably right."

"If she isn't I'll make her right." he said.

"Oh really?" she grinned as he kissed her, "God I've missed that."

"As weird as it sounds," Keith started, "I've missed seeing that."

"Okay you know what everyone gather by the couch." Peyton said pulling out her digital camera.

Lucas, Haley, and Jake sat on the couch, Brooke sat on Luke's lap, with Tyler on the right arm of the couch and Nathan sat on the floor in front of Haley with Andy in his lap, Pen to his right, and Ellie to his left. Peyton sat on the left arm of the chair next to Jake, while Jamie, Keith, and Jenny stood behind the couch, high fiving.

"We actually did it." Jenny said.

The End.

* * *

Okay guys, Merry Christmas! I am done. I hope you all enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed writing it. So uh, please review for one last time, and enjoy your Christmas.

-Em


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